Modular machine tools: Design and barriers to industrial implementation

The Reconfigurable Manufacturing System (RMS) paradigm has been developed to address challenges in the design of manufacturing systems and equipment that will meet the demands of modern manufacturing. This research involved the development of Modular Reconfigurable Machines (MRMs); as an emerging technology in reconfigurable manufacturing. MRMs are mechanically modular machines. The modularity permits the kinematic architecture and processing functions of the machine to be reconfigured to meet changing production requirements. This paper will focus on aspects of the mechanical design and the development of a control system that supported the modularity and reconfigurability of the mechanical platform. A modular electronic system is presented that is characterized by a plug and play approach to control scalability. This is complemented by a software architecture that has been developed with a focus on hardware abstraction for the management of an augmented mechanical and electronic architecture. The implications of MRMs for RMSs are discussed and key inhibitors to industrial implementation are identified.