Reconfigurable Manufacturing: An Investigation of Diagnosability Requirements and Enabling Technological Applications in Industry

In the dynamic environment of today's manufacturing industry, companies need to be changeable, i.e. capable of adapting to changes quickly and cost-effectively. In this context, the diagnosability characteristic, allowing fast and economic ramp-ups of new manufacturing settings, becomes particularly relevant. Depending on their diagnosability requirements, companies can exploit different technologies and applications. In this study, five diagnosability requirements have been identified. Through a literature review, the five requirements have been further investigated; thus, the extent to which these five requirements can be fulfilled, and their enabling technologies and applications has been specified. Finally, a case study has been conducted to show how diagnosability requirements are fulfilled differently in three manufacturing contexts.