Towards engineering manufacturing systems for mass personalisation: a stigmergic approach

Ogunsakin, Rotimi; Marin, Cesar A.; Mehandjiev, Nikolay

Abstract

Mass personalisation is characterised by unpredicted changes in product design and manufacturing processes, as a result of customers’ ability to co-create and co-design products based on personal preferences. Previous approaches that address such unpredicted changes rely on heterarchical control structures and require changes in manufacturing systems’ layout. However, in mass personalisation context, the notion of planning before production is redundant, hence requirement for layout reconfiguration is frequent and at such short intervals that present systems are unsuitable. This paper seeks to deliver distinct production mechanisms which react to the frequent requirement for layout changes, inspired by naturally occurring self-organising systems with stigmergic self-organising mechanisms. These systems lack initial structural organisation, and structure only emerges through reinforcement of local interactions with the environment without the need for planning, centralised control, direct communication and simultaneous presence. Therefore, a manufacturing system for mass personalisation with mobile production resources, heterarchical control architecture, and a stigmergic control mechanism is proposed. Simulation is developed using realistic shoe personalisation scenario, which demonstrates the system’s capability to produce personalised shoes and automatically reconfigure the layout of its production resources.

Citation

Ogunsakin, R., Marin, C. A., & Mehandjiev, N. (2021). Towards engineering manufacturing systems for mass personalisation: a stigmergic approach. International Journal of Computer Integrated Manufacturing, 34(4), 341-369. https://doi.org/10.1080/0951192x.2020.1858508

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 29, 2020
• Online Publication Date: Jan 11, 2021
• Publication Date: Apr 3, 2021
• Deposit Date: Jan 31, 2025
• Journal: International Journal of Computer Integrated Manufacturing
• Print ISSN: 0951-192X
• Electronic ISSN: 1362-3052
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 34
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 341-369
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/0951192x.2020.1858508
• Keywords: Stigmergy; flexible manufacturing; mass personalisation; ant colony optimisation
• Public URL: https://keele-repository.worktribe.com/output/1053441
• Additional Information: Peer Review Statement: The publishing and review policy for this title is described in its Aims & Scope.; Aim & Scope: http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?show=aimsScope&journalCode=tcim20; Received: 2020-03-13; Accepted: 2020-11-29; Published: 2021-01-11