Design of a Real-Time Open Architecture Controller for Reconfigurable Machine Tool

Unprecedented and abrupt changes in market demands represent new conditions that manufactures of consumer goods need to operate within. Several factors are simultaneously contributing to these market changes, including globalisation of the world economy, saturated market and rapid advances in technology. The result has been sharp decrease in product cycles. Therefore higher quality products at lower cost and timely response to market changes become a necessary competitive advantage. This in turn requires appropriate business strategies and manufacturing technologies. More recently, the Reconfigurable Manufacturing System (RMS) concept was introduced to respond to this new market oriented manufacturing environment. In terms of design, RMS has a modular structure in form of modular machines and open architecture controllers that can quickly change the physical structure and appropriately adjust the control system to adapt to the new production requirements. The paper aims to present the design and the development of real-time open architecture controller for a reconfigurable machine tool.