Flexibility via Virtual Cellular System for Variability

Abstract

In today’s competitive world of mass customization, producers of goods are under constant and intense pressure to quickly and continuously improve their operations by enhancing productivity, quality, and responsiveness. Virtual cellular manufacturing (VCM) is being used as a philosophy with broad applicability in the manufacturing sector to reduce movement of jobs, setup times, and lead times. As a result, there is a surge of interest in this area by the industry. This chapter provides an integrated framework for the development of solution methods and heuristics by incorporating various flexibilities in the formation of virtual cells within Job Shop setup. Through an extensive review of literature in traditional manufacturing areas, a new approach for cell formation that integrates machine grouping and layout design is followed with flexibility as a main focus in this chapter. The proposed framework addressed several performance evaluation issues such as system utilization, work-in-process inventory, and related flexibilities.