Configuration Flexibility in Virtual Cellular System

In today's competitive world, producers of goods are under constant and intense pressure to quickly and continuously improve their operations by enhancing productivity, quality and responsiveness. Virtual cellular manufacturing (VCM) is being used as a philosophy with broad applicability in manufacturing sector to reduce movement of jobs, set-up times and lead times. As a result, there is a surge of interest in this area by the industry. The paper provides an integrated framework for the development of solution methods and heuristics by incorporating various flexibilities in the formation of virtual cells within job shop setup. Through an extensive review of literature in traditional manufacturing areas, a new approach for cell formation that integrates machine grouping and layout design is followed with flexibility as a main focus in this paper. The proposed framework will try to address several performance evaluation issues such as system utilization, work-in-process inventory and related flexibilities.