Why use a modular configuration?

Learn about the benefits of using modular configurations to minimize the engineering and production costs. The configurator administrator or a designated user creates configurator modules. The BOM engineers can use these modules to configure products, such as a generic door assembly for refrigerators and freezers, by setting parameters and variant conditions.

The configurator modules are self-contained, plug-compatible units that can be reused.

Manufactured goods are often designed and assembled from configurator modules. For example, consider a company that produces a range of refrigerators and freezers in different sizes and colors. The door assemblies are developed in a department that designs a modular door suitable for use in any refrigerator or freezer. They design a generic door assembly that has all possible components for any use—a sheet steel outer door and two internal covers, one for a freezer and one for a refrigerator.

You can then configure the door assembly for a particular use in a refrigerator or freezer by setting various parameters or variant conditions that describe it, for example, door width, door height, application (refrigerator or freezer), and color (white or stainless steel). This intelligent door assembly is called a configurator module.

The door configurator module is completely self-contained and can be reused in any product by setting its modular configuration. The modular configuration settings only control the features and components contained in the door configurator module itself and make no reference to features in higher- or lower-level configurator modules.