Reconfigurable manufacturing systems: journey and the road ahead

Reconfigurable manufacturing system (RMS) has emerged as a cost effective mechanism that helps the manufacturing organizations to stay competitive in a global scenario where economic pressures and varying product and production demands are perpetually changing in a fiercely dynamic environment. In this context, RMS is seen as one of the current manufacturing structures, which rapidly adjusts to nuances of production capacity and functionality and is capable of producing variety of products, as and when needed, by incorporating principles: some, which are developed and the others that are in an evolutionary stage. This manuscript attempts to survey the characterization of RMS and evolution of research to improve reconfigurability. To facilitate this, an extensive literature review is carried out and an attempt is made to identify the unexplored research areas and proposes directions for future research. It is expected that, this will help researchers, designers and practicing engineers by making them aware of current trends in this area that has become a necessity for the very survival of the manufacturing sector.