THE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF A RECONFIGURABLE MANUFACTURING SYSTEM

ENGLISH ABSTRACT: As a result of increasing global industrial competition, it has become essential for world economies to implement an effective industrial strategy that reliably and quickly addresses sudden changes in product design. An emerging strategy that might enable industries to cope with rapidly changing product specifications is based on reconfiguring the manufacturing systems. In this paper, the authors present the development of a manufacturing system that will be easily reconfigurable. The developed manufacturing system exhibits the ability and potential for a rapid alteration of manufacturing capacity and the fast integration of new products into the existing manufacturing system. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: As gevolg van toenemende wêreldwye industri le mededinging het dit noodsaaklik geword vir wêreld-ekonomie om ’n effektiewe industri le strategie te implementeer om betroubaar en vinnig skielike veranderinge in produkontwerp te hanteer. ’n Nuwe strategie, wat nywerhede moontlik in staat kan stel om vinnig veranderende produkspesifikasies te hanteer, is gebaseer op herkonfigurasie van vervaardigingstelsels. In hierdie artikel word die ontwikkeling van ’n vervaardigingstelsel wat maklik her-konfigureerbaar is, bekend gestel. Die ontwikkelde vervaardigingstelsel toon die vermo en potensiaal vir vinnige verandering van die vervaardigingskapasiteit en die vinnige integrasie van nuwe produkte in ’n bestaande produksiestelsel.