Comparative performance analysis of a flexible manufacturing system (FMS): a review-period-based control

The flexibility of a flexible manufacturing system (FMS) has provided it with the capability to become one of the most suitable manufacturing systems in the present manufacturing environment of customized and an increasing variety of products with shorter life cycles. Significant research has been made on flexibility from different points of views. The paper focuses on the study of flexibility in FMS from the view of a decision-and-information system. In modelling flexibility and other physical and operational parameters of an FMS, researchers have mostly assumed a decision-and-information system has the capability of real-time control. The literature reports qualitatively that real-time control may be difficult to achieve and justify economically. The paper presents a comparative study of an FMS operating under real-time control, review-period-based control and reactive control.