9727247 Gershenson This research seeks to identify and incorporate retirement modularization into mechanical design. The research uses an expanded definition of modularity, which incorporates the potential of modularity based not only on disassembly but also on grouped retirement methods. This definition, coupled with several important design tools will lead to an implementable design methodology for incorporating retirement modules into products. Modularization, due to the functional independence it creates, has been called the goal of good design. Industry has made an effort to modularize products to easily meet the needs of end users and marketing. This effort has led to the creation of product families. Occasionally, modules are created with some aspects of product retirement in mind. However, this modularization is done without fully understanding the financial implications of the design changes. In addition, modularization is done without a structured methodology making the process difficult to repeat if it is successful and difficult to avoid if it is unsuccessful. This research will develop a methodology of creating products that are modular with respect to product retirement. Doing so will decrease environmental loads, decrease retirement processing costs, and decrease product development time. This research will yield a practical, applicable methodology for identifying product retirement modules as well as combining functional and retirement modularity into a design methodology and modularity measure. The adoption of modular product design in product development practices will have a tremendous impact on product value, environmental loads, and life-cycle cost. Modular products will greatly reduce development time and help us move towards global sustainability. The design theory research community will be impacted by the introduction of a new direction in the effort to better incorporate life-cycle values into product design. This r esearch will progress in practical steps punctuated by validation studies. The result of the research in this proposal will be a validated design methodology and measure. The work will also be disseminated in publications at each critical juncture and ultimately incorporated in a computer tool. The work will be accomplished through the work of the faculty and graduate students of the University of Alabama Life-cycle Engineering Laboratory with collaboration from undergraduate researchers and students. ***
