Mini-factories for Close-to-customer Manufacturing of Customized Furniture: From Concept to Real Demo

In this paper a new concept of manufacturing system enabling flexible manufacturing of green personalized furniture close to the customer in terms of features offered, place of fabrication, time to deliver, and price is described. The proposed system encompasses all the technological and organizational requirements enabling to bring design to manufacturing of customized products within shopping malls. The integration of the whole system and relative testing has been carried out within one of the most relevant shopping mall in Milan. During demonstration, customers had the possibility to access the shop, configure their products and see them manufactured in quasi-real time. The promising results of the demonstration activity pave the way for further exploration of the proposed concept.