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.

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 todays 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.

Dear reader! In your hand you have the second book from the series “XXI Century Techno- gies. ” The first book under the title “Manufacturing Technologies for Machines of the Future” was published by “Springer” in 2003. This book is aimed at solving one of the basic problems in the development of modern machine-building – working out of technologies and manufacturing equipment which would promote the continuous development and improvement of the final product design, rapidly “adaptable” to the requirements of the market as for the quantity, quality, and variety of products manufactured with the lowest cost and minimum time and labor of the product process. In this book the problems of theory and practice of development in the reconfigurable manufacturing systems and transformable factories for various machine-building branches with a focus on automotive industry are discussed. The problems concerning the development of a new class of production systems which in comparison to the flexible manufact- ing systems are composed of a far less quantity of machine-tools (reduced cost of production) are discussed. In comparison to the conventional automated lines (dedicated systems) they make it possible to rapidly transform the equipment for new products manufacturing. The book has some advantages concerning the art of scientific ideas and the presentation of developments.

To date, reconfigurable manufacturing systems (RMSs) are among the most effective manufacturing styles that can offer manufacturers an alternative way of facing up to the challenges of continual changes in production requirements within the global, competitive and dynamic manufacturing environments. However, availability of optimal process plans that are suitable for reconfigurable manufacturing is one of the key enablers - yet to be fully unlocked - for realizing the full benefits of true RMSs. To unlock the process planning key and advance the state of art of reconfigurable manufacturing in the manufacturing industry, a number of questions need to be answered: (i) what decision making models and (ii) what computational techniques, can be applied to provide optimal manufacturing process planning solutions that are suitable for logical reconfiguration in manufacturing systems? To answer these questions, you must understand how to model reconfigurable manufacturing activities in an optimization perspective. You must also understand how to develop and select appropriate optimization techniques for solving process planning problems in manufacturing systems. To this end, Process Planning Optimization in Reconfigurable Manufacturing Systems covers: the design and operation of RMSs, optimal process planning modelling for reconfigurable manufacturing and the design and implementation of heuristic algorithm design techniques. The author explores how to: model optimization problems, select suitable optimization techniques, develop optimization algorithms, comparatively analyze the performance of candidate metaheuristics and how to investigate the effects of optimal process planning solutions on operating levels in manufacturing systems. This book delineates five alternative heuristic algorithm design techniques based on simulated annealing, genetic algorithms and the boltzmann machine that are tasked to solve manufacturing process planning optimization problems in RMSs. After reading this book, you will understand: how a reconfigurable manufacturing system works, the different types of manufacturing optimization problems associated with reconfigurable manufacturing, as well as the conventional and intelligent techniques that are suitable for solving process planning optimization problems. You will also be able to develop and implement effective optimization procedures and algorithms for a wide spectrum of optimization problems in design and reconfigurable manufacturing."

“Changeable and Reconfigurable Manufacturing Systems” discusses key strategies for success in the changing manufacturing environment. Changes can often be anticipated but some go beyond the design range, requiring innovative change enablers and adaptation mechanisms. The book presents the new concept of Changeability as an umbrella framework that encompasses paradigms such as agility, adaptability, flexibility and reconfigurability. It provides the definitions and classification of key terms in this new field, and emphasizes the required physical/hard and logical/soft change enablers. The book presents cutting edge technologies and the latest research, as well as future directions to help manufacturers stay competitive. It contains original contributions and results from senior international experts, together with industrial applications. The book serves as a comprehensive reference for professional engineers, managers, and academics in manufacturing, industrial and mechanical engineering.

The objective of this book is to support readers facing the urgency, challenges, analysis, and methodologies to reconfiguration. It presents a comprehensive framework for reconfiguring manufacturing enterprises and provides a set of valuable conceptual frameworks and methodologies for analyzing, evaluating, and assessing reconfiguration indices. This book offers practical guidance for implementing the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0). It presents open-ended problems pertaining to the concepts covered in the book and provides a new approach for reconfiguring industrial systems. Not only is this book for industrialists and academics, it will also appeal to undergraduate and graduate students studying industrial, mechanical, and manufacturing engineering. Scholars and practitioners in operations management will also find this book of interest.

This proceedings volume presents the latest research from the worldwide mass customization, personalization and co-creation (MCPC) community bringing together new thoughts and results from various disciplines within the field. The chapters are based on papers from The MCPC 2015 Conference where the emphasis was placed on “managing complexity.” MCPC is now beginning to emerge in many industries as a profitable business model. But customization and personalization go far beyond the sheer individualization of products and become an extension of current business models and production styles. This book covers topics such as complexity management of knowledge-based systems in manufacturing design and production, sustainable mass customization, choice navigation, and product modeling. The chapters are contributed by a wide range of specialists, offering cutting-edge research, as well as insightful advances in industrial practice in key areas. The MCPC 2015 Conference had a strong focus on real life MCPC applications, and this proceedings volume reflects this. MCPC strategies aim to profit from the fact that people are different. Their objective is to turn customer heterogeneities into profit opportunities, hence addressing the current trend of long tail business models. Mass customization means to provide goods and services that best serve individual customers’ personal needs with near mass production efficiency. This book brings together the latest from MCPC thought leaders, entrepreneurs, technology developers, and researchers that use these strategies in practice.