Design and operation of manufacturing networks for mass customisation

The mass customisation paradigm, in combination with the volatility of globalised heterogeneous markets, directly affects industries towards realising efficient manufacturing network configurations. This research work aims to support the design and operation of manufacturing networks based on a multi-objective decision-making and simulation approach. The alternative network designs are evaluated through a set of multiple conflicting criteria including dynamic complexity, reliability, cost, time, quality and environmental footprint. Moreover, the impact of demand volatility to the operational performance of these networks is investigated through simulation. The proposed approach is validated through a real life case acquired from the CNC machine building industry. (c) 2013 CIRP.