Reconfigurable Manufacturing Systems: From Design to Implementation

This book develops innovative techniques from operational research and management science for the design and implementation of a reconfigurable manufacturing system (RMS), and subsequently analyzes and assesses their performance.

A reconfigurable manufacturing system (RMS) is a paradigm that can address many of the challenges posed by the modern market. Accordingly, substantial research is now being conducted on RMS, focusing on various levels of decision-making (strategic, tactical and operational). However, as a relatively new research area, there are still only very few books and articles available on reconfigurable manufacturing system design and management.

In addition to filling that gap, this book provides a forum for investigating, exchanging ideas on, and disseminating the latest advances in the broad area of RMS applications in today's industry. Gathering contributions by experts from academia, industry and policy-making, it represents an essential contribution to the existing literature on manufacturing and logistics in general and industry 4. 0 in particular.

The Emergence of Reconfigurable Manufacturing Systems (RMSs). - A Classification for Reconfigurable Manufacturing Systems. - System Engineering-based methodology to Design Reconfigurable Manufacturing Systems. - System Design of Architecture and Physical Configuration for RMT/RMS: Modelling of Machines, Workpieces, Manufacturing Operations and Process. - Feature-Driven Design of Reconfigurable Machine Tool Configurations. - Safety, Ergonomics and Human Factors in Reconfigurable Manufacturing Systems. - Analysis of the Scalability for Different Configurations of Lines.