Reconfigurable Manufacturing System Generic Design Framework for System-Level Design

Revolution in traditional manufacturing paradigms has become prerequisite in the twenty-first century manufacturing environment. Globalization currently drives the personalization and customization of products. To be competitive, companies have to enhance with the changing market environments by producing low-cost products with high quality that efficiently respond to market unpredictability. Reconfigurable manufacturing system (RMS) characteristics have the competence to solve the difficulties rising due to changing market requirements. The potential of the RMS to quickly and effectively reconfigure capacity and functionality allows it to tackle this challenge. A systematic RMS design process is essential, as traditional manufacturing system design methodologies do not facilitate the design of an RMS. RMS can be reconfigured at the system level and the machine level. This study explores the concept of machine-level and system-level RMS design. A review of current RMS design methods is conducted, with a focus on significant theories and practices to analyze approaches for RMS system-level design. From this, a generic design approach for RMS system-level design approach is developed by integrating the reviewed methodologies.