Abstract: Building a product platform with rational structure is a good way for a company to obtain variety efficiently and effectively. From the aspect of design the product platform can be divided into conceptual platform and entity platform, the former forms the core resource for innovation of product family, and the latter gathers the core components for variants production. A process model for product platform design based on similarity and structural sensitivity analysis is put forward, as a solution of one of key steps, the rules and approaches for commonality design is put emphasis on. By use of that process model a more flexible product platform with hierarchy architecture can be built. According to that model the design process is separated into two phases. First, the product conceptual platform is designed based on similarity analysis and commonality design on function and conceptual structure units. Second, the product entity platform is designed based on sensitivity analysis for entity units to the changes of customer requirements. As an illustration, the process model is used for product platform design of armored face conveyer of a company.

Key words: Commonality, Product conceptual platform, Product entity platform, Similarity, Structural sensitivity