Highly versatile plug&produce assembly systems

Abstract

Due to decreasing innovation cycles, new technologies are implemented into new product ideas continuously faster. At the same time, well established manufacturers of goods are facing highly agile small and medium sized enterprises bringing new and innovative products to the market very fast. While this competition allows customers to select products fitting best to their demand and budget, producing companies are challenged with decreasing product life cycles, a higher product variety, fluctuating demands as well as strong cost pressure. As this so called mass-customization effect is more and more affecting also classical high volume-low variant markets, production systems which provide both, high productivity and adaptability, are required.