Multidisciplinary analysis and product family optimization of front-loading washing machines

In the past decade, the market share of front-loading washing machines has seen explosive growth in the United States. As a result, many companies are now offering families of front-loading washing machines with a variety of features and options. Understanding the tradeoffs within these product families is challenging as existing research has focused primarily on a single disciplinary analysis (e.g., dynamic analysis, strength analysis); few models exist for cleanliness, reliability, energy efficiency, etc. In this paper, we introduce a new integrated multidisciplinary analysis using simulations, mathematical models, and response surface models based on the ratings of product attributes. In order to determine feasible design solutions for a front-loading washer family, we formulate a product family design problem using deviation functions and a product family penalty function. A multi-objective genetic algorithm is applied to solve the proposed formulation, and the results indicate that designers can successfully determine solutions for the best performance, most common, and compromise families of front-loading washers.