What is the primary reason for using commonality of parts in product design?

The primary reason for using commonality of parts in product design is to provide savings in design time. When manufacturers utilize common components across different products, it streamlines the design process significantly. This approach allows designers to focus on modifying or improving existing parts instead of starting from scratch for every new product variation. By reusing components, companies can not only accelerate the development cycle but also reduce the potential for errors and inconsistencies that might arise from designing multiple unique parts.

Commonality also leads to efficiencies in production and inventory management, as having standardized parts simplifies the supply chain and reduces the variety of components that need to be stocked. This can lead to cost savings in procurement and logistics as well, although the primary focus in the context of product design remains on saving design time and effort.