**2.3 Reconfigurable manufacturing system**

The pervasive internet presence, computational and analysis software, and the introduction of modern responsive production systems, such as 3D printing, pose an opportunity for a new product development paradigm: personalizing products according to individual needs and preferences. Through collaboration with production companies and other consumers, customers are able to design and realize their innovative products. This co-development process enables customers to engage in design, product modeling and simulation, fabrication, and assembly processes that respond quickly to the needs and preferences of customers, by means of the open-product architecture [20], the on-demand production systems, and adaptive cyber-physical system.

The heterogeneity of consumer demands has forced enterprises to offer a higher number of product variants, produced in smaller batch sizes. A huge increase in product varieties in different product ranges and sectors can be noticed [21], and this trend will continue [22].

**Figure 4.** *An example of an FMS developed by FESTO group.*

As a result of the high cost of reconfiguring the FMS, reconfigurable manufacturing system (RMS) concept has been introduced to tackle the issues in FMS. In earlier definitions of the RMS, [23] RMS is differentiated from dedicated production line and FMS by their adjustable system structure adaptability and the scalability to varying demands. The structural adjustment can occur at the system level, machine level, or both levels. RMS is a cost-effective production system paradigm when adapting frequent changes is required [24]. It reduces system costs by designing a production system for the whole part family and provides the necessary custom flexibility to produce all the components in the part family. It, therefore, has the ability to produce a broad range of components at varying levels of production and in high-economic-performance environments. An example of an RMS is shown in **Figure 5**.

Koren and Shpitalni [11] said that reconfigurable is designed at the outset for ability changes in software and hardware to a new circumference to response to a sudden change in market requirements. RMS has been proposed extensively in different industries and companies to produce modularized, customized, flexible, and scalable products.

Reconfigurability implies a responsive production engineering technology that is able to respond quickly to changes in the product market by designing production machines and systems that are cost-effective and quick to reconfigure. In the absence of reconfigurability design, the process to reconfigure the system and its machine shall be both long and ineffectual. There are three basic elements in designing the process for RMS, which are the control system, material handling system design, and layout design. **Table 1** shows the details about each of the elements.

**Figure 6** shows the type of configuration and reconfiguration system. Two different kinds of reconfigurable systems can be differentiated according to Pritschow et al. [26]. In type 1, machine modules are predefined in system architecture, while in type 2, machine modules are not designed within the architecture of the system. The type 2 reconfigurable system cannot be immediately or automatically reconfigured.

There are numerous aspects that can be definable in order to fully understand the reconfigurable material handling system: convertibility (functionality shift purpose), scalability (capacity change plan), modularity (modular elements), integrability (quick integration interfaces), customization (part family flexibility), and diagnosability (easy diagnostic design) [27]. Customization, scalability, and

**175**

**Table 2.**

*Revolution of Production System for the Industry 4.0 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.90772*

parts

*The basic elements in design processes for RMS [25].*

*The type of configuration and reconfiguration system [26].*

requirements easily

system easily

arrangement

operational defects

**Elements Details**

*The characteristics of reconfigurability [27].*

**Element Details**

Material handling

system

**Table 1.**

**Figure 6.**

tics of reconfigurable material handling are shown in **Table 2**.

tools, and plant layout

convertibility are critical reconfiguration characteristics, while modularity, integrability, and diagnosability allow rapid reconfiguration [25]. The detailed characteris-

Control system The specification of the controller to form an automated material handling system

Layout design The choice of the physical arrangement of production facilities such as machines,

Convertibility The ability to transform the functionality from the existing system to new production

Scalability The ability to modify production capacity by adding or subtracting component of the

Modularity The ability to manipulate between alternate production scheme for the optimal

Customization The ability to produce a particular product based on the customer's requirement Diagnosability The ability to automatically read the current state of a system and quickly correct

Integrability The ability to integrate module rapidly and precisely by a set of mechanical,

informational, and control interface

The selection of material transport equipment that relates to the movement of the

**Figure 5.** *An RMS system developed by FESTO group.*

convertibility are critical reconfiguration characteristics, while modularity, integrability, and diagnosability allow rapid reconfiguration [25]. The detailed characteristics of reconfigurable material handling are shown in **Table 2**.


#### **Table 1.**

*Mass Production Processes*

in **Figure 5**.

elements.

reconfigured.

and scalable products.

As a result of the high cost of reconfiguring the FMS, reconfigurable manufacturing system (RMS) concept has been introduced to tackle the issues in FMS. In earlier definitions of the RMS, [23] RMS is differentiated from dedicated production line and FMS by their adjustable system structure adaptability and the scalability to varying demands. The structural adjustment can occur at the system level, machine level, or both levels. RMS is a cost-effective production system paradigm when adapting frequent changes is required [24]. It reduces system costs by designing a production system for the whole part family and provides the necessary custom flexibility to produce all the components in the part family. It, therefore, has the ability to produce a broad range of components at varying levels of production and in high-economic-performance environments. An example of an RMS is shown

Koren and Shpitalni [11] said that reconfigurable is designed at the outset for ability changes in software and hardware to a new circumference to response to a sudden change in market requirements. RMS has been proposed extensively in different industries and companies to produce modularized, customized, flexible,

Reconfigurability implies a responsive production engineering technology that is able to respond quickly to changes in the product market by designing production machines and systems that are cost-effective and quick to reconfigure. In the absence of reconfigurability design, the process to reconfigure the system and its machine shall be both long and ineffectual. There are three basic elements in designing the process for RMS, which are the control system, material handling system design, and layout design. **Table 1** shows the details about each of the

**Figure 6** shows the type of configuration and reconfiguration system. Two different kinds of reconfigurable systems can be differentiated according to Pritschow et al. [26]. In type 1, machine modules are predefined in system architecture, while in type 2, machine modules are not designed within the architecture of the system. The type 2 reconfigurable system cannot be immediately or automatically

There are numerous aspects that can be definable in order to fully understand the reconfigurable material handling system: convertibility (functionality shift purpose), scalability (capacity change plan), modularity (modular elements), integrability (quick integration interfaces), customization (part family flexibility), and diagnosability (easy diagnostic design) [27]. Customization, scalability, and

**174**

**Figure 5.**

*An RMS system developed by FESTO group.*

*The basic elements in design processes for RMS [25].*

#### **Figure 6.**

*The type of configuration and reconfiguration system [26].*


#### **Table 2.**

*The characteristics of reconfigurability [27].*
