Title: Flexible integrated manufacturing - future challenges towards socially responsible manufacturing

Authors: Sang-Jae Song

Addresses: Department of Information and Intelligent Systems Engineering, Hiroshima Institute of Technology, 2-1-1 Miyake, Saeki-ku, Hiroshima, 731-5193, Japan

Abstract: This paper aims to develop Flexible Integrated Manufacturing (FIM) as an ultimate manufacturing system for future manufacturing perspectives. In the long term, it can ensure the fulfilment of social requirements while providing superior performance and thriving in an integrated autonomous cellular manufacturing system. Socially responsible manufacturing guarantees better productivity and competitiveness via the self-directed efforts of shop floor workers, as well as environmentally safe manufacturing processes by taking resource-saving and recycling-conscious manufacturing into account. A global view of manufacturing can be gained via alliances which can be initiated quickly and with minimal resources. Moreover, human-enriching cooperative manufacturing will be capable of being developed through team-based cooperative planning between production and marketing activities.

Keywords: autonomous cellular manufacturing; cooperative team manufacturing; future-oriented manufacturing; globalised collaborative manufacturing; human-enriching production; recycling-conscious manufacturing.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMTM.2001.001413

International Journal of Manufacturing Technology and Management, 2001 Vol.3 No.3, pp.308-324

Published online: 02 Jul 2003 *

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