Glossary · Automation fundamentals, platforms and components
Modularity
Also known as: Modular design
German: Modularität
In engineering, modularity is the degree to which a system is built from separable units (modules) with defined interfaces, which can be developed, tested, replaced or combined independently.
- Automation components
In one sentence
Modularity is the degree to which a system is built from separable modules with defined interfaces that can be combined or replaced.
Example
A filling machine is built from standard modules — infeed, filler, capper, outfeed — each with its own software unit and a defined interface to the line control.
How it applies
- Engineering: Modularity applies to mechanics, electrics and software. Standard modules with well-defined interfaces shorten engineering and allow variants; see Module Type Package (MTP) for process modules.
- Maintenance: Modular hardware can be swapped quickly, and modular software can be updated in parts, as long as interfaces stay compatible.
- Documentation: Modular documentation mirrors modular products: topics per module, reused across variants, with clear variant information. Interfaces between modules deserve their own documentation.
- Commissioning: Modules can be tested before delivery, so site commissioning focuses on integration.
Modularity vs. integration
Modules must still be integrated. The interaction of modules can create behavior, including hazards, that no single module shows. See Integrated system and Interaction hazard; a safe module does not make the assembled system safe.