Decomposition in design of products and systems

The objective of this paper is to discusses a decomposition method for the identification of design agents with the minimum 'interaction density.' The design problem is represented with a constraint variable incidence matrix. The decomposition strategy used is dependent on the structure of the incidence matrix. The constraint-based decomposition can be used in routine and non-routine design. It allows to detect the critical interactions among functions and features, redundant constraints, and inconsistencies. The decomposition simplifies the computational task and reduces the design cycle. The concepts presented in the paper are illustrated with an example of the poppet relief valve design.