An Approach to the Application of the Design Structure Matrix for Assessing Reconfigurability of Distributed Manufacturing Systems

In recent years, a large number of approaches to developing distributed manufacturing systems have been proposed. One of the principle reasons for these developments has been to enhance the reconfigurability of a manufacturing operation; allowing it to readily adapt to changes over time. However, to date, there has only been a limited assessment of the resulting reconfigurability properties and hence it remains inconclusive as to whether a distributed manufacturing system design approach does in fact improve reconfigurability. Recently, the "design structure matrix" has been proposed as a tool for assessing the modularity of elements in a distributed manufacturing system by Farid, A. and McFarlane, D. (2006). However, a clear and systematic approach to its application to distributed manufacturing systems has yet to be developed. This paper outlines such an approach in three phases: 1) definition of system boundary and functionality 2) identification of system components and finally 3) identification of interfaces between components. The use of the design structure matrix is illustrated in assessing a robot assembly cell designed on distributed manufacturing system principles