Dynamic implementation of function-oriented selective and adaptive assembly in small-lot production

The increasing trend towards high-variety, complex assembled products combined with the growing attention to sustainable manufacturing call for novel methods to reduce defects in small-lot productions. Selective assembly may improve assembled product quality, but the inherent rigidity of the underlying assembly strategy bounds its industrial applications. The paper presents a methodology to dynamically implement selective and adaptive assembly of complex products. Based on cyber-physical system capabilities, the assembly components are dynamically selected to match evolving quality requirements of the assembled product. The method is validated in a real opto-electronics industry case, showing significant benefits in quality and production logistics performance. (C) 2022 CIRP. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.