Design and Evaluation of a Reconfigurable Manufacturing System: By the Use of the 2D/3D Computer Simulation

Abstract

In modern manufacturing industry, reconfigurable manufacturing system (RMS) is a promising concept in the research arena. A new RMS system structure has been recently designed by a large consumer goods manufacturer in Europe, aiming to improve its production efficiency. This paper shows an exploratory research on the (re)configuration procedure and evaluation of the RMS philosophy based on the new RMS structure, which is part of the RMS research in University of Southern Denmark. Tecnomatix Plant Simulation is used for system analysis and optimization. Results from simulation show that the RMS implemented in this consumer goods manufacturer can be effectively (re)configured as part of the daily operations, and the configuration is analyzed by computer simulation before release. Flexibility can be increased considerably meanwhile the system can maintain an acceptable productivity.