scholarly journals Towards Practical Guidelines for Conversion from Fixed to Reconfigurable Manufacturing Automation Systems

2018 ◽  
Vol 03 (01) ◽  
pp. 1850002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan Coppini ◽  
Michael A. Saliba

It is generally considered that economic feasibility of a reconfigurable manufacturing system (RMS) is only attainable if the system is defined to be reconfigurable at the outset of its design. In this work, we consider the potential exception to this perception, in the context of a common industrial scenario where a specialized and expensive manufacturing machine or system will otherwise be rendered useless due to the loss of business of the particular product being manufactured. Specific guidelines to convert from a fixed to a reconfigurable system are proposed, and evaluated through a case study. It is shown that under certain conditions, RMSs may be economically feasible even if they are developed through the modification of pre-existing dedicated systems.

Author(s):  
Prince Pal Singh ◽  
Jatinder Madan ◽  
Harwinder Singh

Abstract We propose a systematic approach for product flow configuration selection for reconfigurable manufacturing system (RMS) that considers ten industrially relevant most important factors. The paper first defines performance metrics for the identified factors. A composite performance metric (CPM) has been proposed, which accounts for all ten-performance metrics to assess the performance of RMS with the help of a combined score. The methodology of developing CPM applies analytical hierarchy process (AHP) approach where weightage to each of the performance metric is also considered. To showcase the usefulness and feasibility of the CPM, it has been applied in an industrial environment with the help of an industrial case study. Both the CPM and other metric scores were found to be quite useful to identify a suitable configuration out of the available alternatives.


Author(s):  
Sihan Huang ◽  
Cong Zeng ◽  
Guoxin Wang ◽  
Yan Yan

Abstract Reconfigurable manufacturing system (RMS) is designed around a specific part family. Reconfigurable machine tools (RMT) is the core facility of RMS. One RMT system is an RMS consisting of only one RMT. So, the RMT of one RMT system is designed for a specific part family, which integrates the characteristics of RMS and RMT. The reconfiguration path problem of one RMT system is an urgent problem to be solved. Therefore, an optimal reconfiguration path decision method for one RMT system is proposed in this paper. The objective is to produce the entire part family at the minimum reconfiguration effort. Reconfiguration time is adopted as the characteristic value of reconfiguration effort in this paper. The Tabu Search algorithm (TS) is used to solve this problem due to its excellent search ability. Process rule is considered during computation to obtained reasonable solution. A case study is given to implement the proposed method. The result shows that the proposed method can produce an optimal reconfiguration path for one RMT system satisfying the process rule.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajesh Pansare ◽  
Gunjan Yadav ◽  
Madhukar R. Nagare

Purpose Uncertainties in manufacturing and changing customer demands force manufacturing industries to adopt new strategies, such as the reconfigurable manufacturing system (RMS). To improve the implementation and performance of RMS, it is necessary to review the available literature and identify future trends in this field. This paper aims to analyze existing literature and to see trends in RMS-related research. Design/methodology/approach The systematic literature review and analysis of RMS-related research papers from 1999 to 2020 is carried out in this literature. The selected studies are analyzed based on the year of publication, journals, publishers, active authors, research design, countries, enablers, barriers, performance evaluation parameters and universities. Findings After the analysis of selected RMS-related research papers, the top countries, universities, journals, publishers and authors are identified in this domain. Research themes and trends in research are identified in this study. Besides, it has been noted that there is a need for further research in this domain and for the creation of a generalized framework that can guide researchers and practitioners to increase RMS adoption. Practical implications Research insights, guidance and observations from this paper are provided to RMS-related researchers and practitioners. Important research gaps are identified in this study, which can provide direction for future research and trends in RMS research. Originality/value The study presented focuses mainly on the method of collecting, organizing, capturing, interpreting and analyzing data to provide more insight into RMS to identify future trends in research.


2014 ◽  
Vol 556-562 ◽  
pp. 6034-6037
Author(s):  
Dong Man Yu ◽  
Zhi Hua Gao ◽  
Xiao Jing Li ◽  
Di Wang

Reconfigurable manufacturing system is essential for sustainable change, rapid response ability important characteristics, research, development and application of manufacturing system. The main architecture and major characteristics of reconfigurable manufacturing systems is explored. Normally, the quality of RMS can be evaluated by several factors. Firstly, the gross cost of production and reconstruction should be less. Secondly, The time of design and manufacture (ascent time) should be shorter. Thirdly, the utilization ratio of existed resource should reach to the utmost. Finally, the cargo stream planning in common space should keep in optimal condition. At last, The author give an example to shown the RMS, the hydraulic integrated package for a gearshift device in automobile, are mentioned to compare and analyze.


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