Framework for designing and controlling a multicellular flexible manufacturing system

In the economic environment of recent years, management in modern organisations has had to make flexible responses to constantly changing new product lines and product varieties. Flexibility, which is the capability of a system to adapt to changes made to it, is becoming one of the most critical factors for success in the manufacturing industry. In this context, the design and management of flexible manufacturing systems (FMSs) are crucial and important issues. This paper presents an innovative, integrated, and optimising iterative process which supports the planning and control of a multistage and multicellular FMS. It is based on the simultaneous application of simulation tools and heuristic techniques. The proposed framework has been applied to the optimisatation of a manufacturing system from the Italian automotive industry. The effectiveness of simulation techniques, aimed at the strategic and operative decision-making process, emerges.