Function structure

Activities

• Activity 2: Determining functions and their structures
• Activity 3: Searching for solution principles and their solutions
• Activity 5: Subdivision into modules and interface definitions

Description

When creating the function structure, the overall function of a product is broken down into sub-functions analogue to the Function hierarchy. In contrast to Function hierarchy, the interrelationships and interactions of the sub-functions are taken into account. This is done by linking the sub-functions to form a functional structure, which represents a network-like mesh. The overall function can be represented using different function structures, which is why these can be varied and optimised.

Procedure

1. Decompose complex functions into less complex and solution-neutral sub-functions
2. Link the sub-functions to a function structure, taking into account the interrelationships between them
3. Variation and optimisation of the function structure

Sources

• Pahl et al. 2007, p. 242-255