Standard Article Concurrent Engineering: Research and Applications 1–16 Ó The Author(s) 2019 Article reuse guidelines: sagepub.com/journals-permissions DOI: 10.1177/1063293X19883421 journals.sagepub.com/home/cer Modular product design for additive manufacturing of satellite components: maximising product value using genetic algorithms Olivia Borgue , Massimo Panarotto and Ola Isaksson Abstract For space manufacturers, additive manufacturing promises to dramatically reduce weight and costs by means of integral designs achieved through part consolidation. However, integrated designs hinder the ability to change and service com- ponents over time – actually increasing costs – which is instead enabled by highly modular designs. Finding the optimal trade-off between integral and modular designs in additive manufacturing is of critical importance. In this article, a prod- uct modularisation methodology is proposed for supporting such trade-offs. The methodology is based on combining function modelling with optimisation algorithms. It evaluates product design concepts with respect to product adaptabil- ity, component interface costs, manufacturing costs and cost of post-processing activities. The developed product modu- larisation methodology is derived from data collected through a series of workshops with industrial practitioners from three different manufacturer companies of space products. The implementation of the methodology is demonstrated in a case study featuring the redesign of a satellite antenna. Keywords additive manufacturing, satellite components, modularisation, product architecture, optimisation algorithm Introduction Products for space applications are traditionally costly and produced in small batches, and they must be able to withstand extreme environments and meet particular requirements when in operation (Hobday, 1998). However, the space industry is currently in a state of transition. SpaceX, for instance, plans to launch into orbit a satellite constellation with more than 4000 low- cost satellites, 800 of which are expected to be operative by 2020 (Thompson, 2018). For this reason, cost and lead time reduction are becoming important driving forces for space manufacturers. In addition, the devel- opment of novel means of component life extension through on-orbit servicing and product reuse are also significantly impacting the business (Brown and Eremenko, 2006; Gonzalez-Zugasti et al., 2000; O ¨ hrwall Ro¨ nnba¨ck and Isaksson, 2018). In this context, additive manufacturing (AM) is a technology that promises increased design freedom and reduced manufacturing costs due to weight reduction achieved through efficient material allocation (Schmelzle et al., 2015). A common AM design strategy to reduce weight and cost is part consolidation, the inte- gration of different components into one component that performs multiple functions (known as function coupling). Part consolidation is understood as the opposite of product modularisation (Schilling, 2000), in which there is a one-to-one correspondence of func- tional elements to physical components. Schmelzle et al. (2015) achieved a 60% weight reduction and improved product performance by adopting part con- solidation design strategies for a multipart hydraulic manifold. Although part consolidation leads to weight Department of Industrial and Materials Science, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden Corresponding author: Olivia Borgue, Department of Industrial and Materials Science, Chalmers University of Technology, 412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden. Email: borgue@chalmers.se