A game theoretic model for analysis of material reuse modularity

The rational of incorporating material reuse considerations into modular design has been well recognized. The key technical challenge, however, lies in that such material reuse modularity must be consistent with and conform to the legacy structure of a technical system. This paper is geared towards a total system approach and introduces a game theoretic approach to joint optimization of technical system modularity and material reuse modularity. A bilevel optimization model is put forward for modularity decisions while leveraging material reuse. A case study of refrigerator modularity analysis is reported.