Title: Analysis of factors affecting the reconfigurable manufacturing system using an interpretive structural modelling technique

Authors: Vasdev Malhotra

Addresses: Department of Mechanical Engineering, YMCA University of Science and Technology, Faridabad 121006, India

Abstract: The reconfigurable manufacturing system is a new manufacturing systems paradigm that aims at achieving cost effective and rapid system changes. The RMS is designed for rapid change in structure in order to quickly adjust production capacity and functionality with in part family in response to sudden change in market. There are certain factors, which affects reconfigurable manufacturing system to implement in the industries. The main objective of this paper is to understand the mutual interaction of these factors and identify the 'driving factors' (i.e., which influence the other factors) and the 'dependent factors' (i.e., which are influenced by others). In the present work, these factors have been identified through the literature, their ranking is done by a questionnaire-based survey and interpretive structural modelling (ISM) approach has been utilised in analysing their mutual interaction. An ISM model has been prepared to identify some key factors and their managerial implications in the implementations of reconfigurable manufacturing system.

Keywords: reconfigurable manufacturing systems; RMS; key factors; interpretive structural modelling; ISM; manufacturing system design.

DOI: 10.1504/IJISE.2014.060136

International Journal of Industrial and Systems Engineering, 2014 Vol.16 No.3, pp.396 - 413

Published online: 07 Jun 2014 *

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