converting traditional production systems to focused cells as a requirement of global manufacturing将传统生产系统转换为集中细胞作为全球制造业的需求.pdfVIP

Journal of Service Science and Management, 2011, 4, 268-279 doi:10.4236/jssm.2011.43032 Published Online September 2011 (http://www.SciRP.org/journal/jssm) Converting Traditional Production Systems to Focused Cells as a Requirement of Global Manufacturing Ibrahim H. Garbie Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman. Email: garbie@.om th th th Received January 30 , 2011; revised April 20 , 2011; accepted May 12 , 2011. ABSTRACT The converting process from traditional production systems (e.g., Job Shops) to focused (cellular) systems is important as one requirement of global manufacturing to challenge the existing global financial crisis. This represents a big problem and a huge task for manufacturers and academicians which almost most of industrial enterprises around the world are still working as a job shop. This converting process means breaking or dividing the existing functional (process ) layout into independently and distinctly focused manufacturing cells to gain on the conversion benefits. To consider this issue, a new methodology of converting job shops into cellular systems is introduced based on the re- quirements of global manufacturing regarding manufacturing systems design only. These requirements are: respon- siveness, reconfigurable machines, mass customization, innovative and manufacturing systems configuration. A com- plete industrial case study will be used to analyze and explain the proposed methodology in a small-sized job shop manufacturing firm. Keywords : Reconfigurable Manufacturing Systems, Cellular Manufacturing Systems, Cell Formation. 1. Introduction for the global manufacturing as one solu