What's the buzz about moving from flexible to reconfigurable manufacturing system\?
Résumé
With burgeoning global markets and the demanding nature of the customer it is very important for companies/organizations to respond quickly and cost effectively to be present and to take the lead among the competitors. This requires a changeable structure of the organization to cater to a wide product variety. This can be attained through adoption of the concept of Reconfigurable Manufacturing System (RMS), which comprises of reconfigurable machines, controllers and the software support systems. This paper focuses on the various enhanced features of the RMS when compared to the existing manufacturing systems and identifies the need for the changeover. The various requirements of this kind of manufacturing structure have been identified. Further the problems and the research gaps with the implementation have been listed and possible steps to be taken for the successful implementation of RMS in practice are presented.