RMS : an evolution in manufacturing systems

The demands of the current economic climate have led systems to adapt to multiple variations in their operating conditions. Managing a system therefore requires mastery. In particular, this requires precise knowledge of the system's degree of flexibility, and its residual potential in relation to the tasks at hand. However, it turns out that these characteristics are often poorly known by the operators.

The aim of this dossier is to highlight and identify the major concepts defined in the field of manufacturing systems, and to outline the stages in the evolution of these systems towards "reconfigurable manufacturing systems". In this way, the reader will become aware of the problem of driving in an uncertain context, and discover the contributions of reconfigurable systems, their ability to react and their limits.

This article is divided into four parts:

• the first addresses the issue of control, taking into account the uncertainty of the environment in which the system evolves, as well as service quality constraints linked to cost/performance trade-offs;

• the second details the capabilities of reconfigurable systems in different sectors. Readers can familiarize themselves with their main characteristics: architectures, configurations, reconfiguration processes and quality of service;

• the third focuses on the manufacturing sector. It details the stages in the evolution of manufacturing systems in order to define and position RMS and FMS. The notion of reaction to hazards is also addressed;

• the fourth and final section discusses the contributions and constraints of reconfigurable systems.