220 Decision Based Design
is because components mainly share information and not actual physi-
cal quantities such as material or force. Modularity can still be achieved
in other products, for example, in piping systems, by using standardized
interfaces. Most mature products have evolved to be very modular, for
example, automobiles, airplanes, staplers, and military weapon systems.
Modularity is closely related to the independence of functional require-
ments axiom. In distributed design or design that takes place with many
designers separated by vast distances, modularity becomes even more criti-
cal. Interfaces between different components are predecided and form hard
constraints for each designer. Consequently, when a manufacturer decides to ...