INFRASTRUCTURAL BACKBONE OF ENABLING AND CONVERGING TECHNOLOGIES FOR MASS CUSTOMIZATION MANUFACTURING SYSTEM IN AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRIES

Successful implementation of Mass Customization can result in a challenging manufacturing environment with both high volume production and high product mix, where the customers expect individualized products at the same price they are paying for mass-produced items. Meeting this challenge requires changes in the manufacturing strategies, increase in the flexibility of the production equipments and the most importantly are the adaptable computer systems which make this possible in the manufacturing enterprise. The major requirement is to develop a system which can adapt quickly in order to start new production or to react quickly in failure scenario. Thus the system should have the ability of self improving, self-adaptable and self healing. Thus there is a need for technical migration from a well established flexible manufacturing system (FMS) to intelligent and reconfigurable manufacturing system. This paper describes the major enabling and converging technologies facilitating mass customization manufacturing systems in automobile industries in Indian setting and also discusses the proposed architecture for Mass Customization Manufacturing System.