Towards practical guidelines for conversion from a fixed to a reconfigurable manufacturing automation system

Abstract

It is generally considered to be a key requirement in the development of reconfigurable manufacturing systems, that economic feasibility 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 requirement, in the context of a common industrial scenario where a specialized and expensive manufacturing machine or system will otherwise be rendered useless due to 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.