Stabilisation and control of configurable product manufacturing through Biased Decision Feedback decoupling

Mass Customisation Manufacturing (MCM) attempts to deliver efficient manufacturing outputs, initiated by unique design input into a configurable product platform. In this paper, customers’ selection behaviour in terms of product configuration is characterised and metrics thereof used in presenting a new manufacturing flow control method. The novel setup scheduling and flow control method, termed Biased Decision Feedback (BDF), is tested in a simulation study of a custom fly fishing reel manufacturing facility. Also, BDF is shown to posses an operating point when the statistical behaviour of customers’ selections is stable.

► Customers’ selection behaviour is quantified through the development of critical metrics. ► Configure-to-order manufacturing stability properties and characteristics are addressed. ► A failure mode of current flow control methods is presented. ► An event driven manufacturing cell controller, termed Biased Decision Feedback is presented. ► Characteristic curves of setup frequency and throughput disorder are presented.