Abstract
The evolving characteristic of changeable manufacturing systems requires design and assessment techniques that consider both the strategic and financial criteria and incorporate the reconfiguration aspects as well as fluctuations in the demand over the planned system life cycle. The economic evaluation approaches to reconfigurable and flexible manufacturing systems have been reviewed. A fuzzy multi-objective mixed integer optimization model for evaluating investments in reconfigurable manufacturing systems used in a multiple product demand environment is presented. The model incorporates in-house production and outsourcing options, machine acquisition and disposal costs, operational costs, and re-configuration cost and duration for modular machines. The resulting configurations are optimized by considering life-cycle costs, responsiveness performance, and system structural complexity simultaneously. The overall model is illustrated with a case study where FMS and RMS implementations were compared. System configurations generated from the proposed model are simulated to compare the life-cycle costs of FMS and RMS. The suitable conditions for RMS investments have been discussed.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
