Understanding reconfigurability of manufacturing systems: An empirical analysis

The need for more responsive manufacturing systems to deal with high product variety and large fluctuations in market demand requires new approaches that enable the system to react to changes quickly and efficiently. Reconfigurability is an ability that allows the addition, removal or rearrangement of manufacturing system components and functions to better cope with high product variety and significant fluctuations in market demand in a cost effective way. This paper empirically investigates the understanding of reconfigurability in industrial manufacturing companies and tests and validates its core characteristics using a questionnaire survey, which was carried out with Portuguese companies. Findings show the existence of five core characteristics of reconfigurability. The implications of these characteristics, concerning the implementation of Reconfigurable Manufacturing Systems, are also analysed and discussed.