Factory-in-a-Box–Solutions for availability and mobility of flexible production capacity

The objective of this paper is to present examples of how to realize a flexible and reconfigurable production system. An ongoing research project in Sweden called Factory-in-a-Box will be presented which is one research initiative within this area. The purpose of the Factory-in-a-Box project is to develop solutions for mobile production capacity on demand. Three key features have been identified as enablers for these kinds of production capabilities: mobility, flexibility, and speed. The concept consists of standardized modules that can be installed in e.g. containers and easily transported by trucks, rail vehicles, and boats. The modules can easily be combined into complete production systems and reconfigured for new products and/or scaled to handle new volumes. The goal of the Factory-in-a-Box project is to build fully operative production modules that are developed in close cooperation between different academic and industrial partners. This paper will present the reults from these demonstrators giving examples of the usability of the Factory-in-a-Box concept in industry.