PROCESS PLANNING OPTIMIZATION IN RECONFIGURABLE MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS

To date, reconfigurable manufacturing systems (RMSs) are among the most effective manufacturing styles that can offer manufacturers an alternative way of facing up to the challenges of continual changes in production requirements within the global, competitive and dynamic manufacturing environments. However, availability of optimal process plans that are suitable for reconfigurable manufacturing is one of the key enablers - yet to be fully unlocked - for realizing the full benefits of true RMSs. To unlock the process planning key and advance the state of art of reconfigurable manufacturing in the manufacturing industry, a number of questions need to be answered