ABSTRACT
Internal standard parts tend to work best in companies that produce and sell a variety of similar or related products and that are constantly introducing new and improved product versions. Hand-held power tools are a good example. Functionally, an electric drill is totally different from an electric sander. From a part decomposition standpoint, however, both products are similar in that they both utilize an electric motor, gears, shafts, sleeve bearings, control switches, and so forth, enclosed in a housing. Many of these parts, such as the shafts and bearing, if standardized, can be used interchangeably in different products. Such standardization produces increased flexibility and economies of scale. Also, time to market is decreased because previous design field experience with these parts reduces the need for extensive design analysis and reliability testing of new products that utilize these parts.
