Reconfigurable Manufacturing Systems in Small and Medium Enterprises

Abstract

As mass customization is being widely adopted, manufacturing companies are faced with an increasing challenge of establishing and maintaining manufacturing systems with sufficient flexibility to meet customers’ diverse needs and yet be efficient enough to be competitive. Furthermore, shortening product life cycles require manufacturing systems to be able to react quickly to changes in market and products. Reconfigurable manufacturing systems (RMS) are widely acknowledged as a feasible principle to design a production system, which is both flexible and efficient and able to change capabilities and capacities rapidly. Most literature, however, addresses the design of RMS in large companies, whereas limited literature is found related to SMEs. This paper investigates the potential and challenges related to implementing RMS in SMEs, by conducting a case study of a SME in the Danish manufacturing industry. It is concluded that RMS in some cases can be very beneficial for SMEs; however, significant challenges exist, which calls for further research.