Purpose:

In the manufacturing industry, companies are required to developassembly systems that can adapt to fluctuating market demands andtechnological advancements. Long-term automation goals play a role inguiding the evolution from manual assembly systems to semiautomation and eventually to full automation. However, transitioningto different automation levels involves significant challenges.

Therefore, the purpose of the study is to:Investigate how to support long-term automation goals into the designof a reconfigurable assembly system, without compromising productquality. 

Methodology:

The study had a qualitative research approach and a multiple casestudy design. Six manufacturing companies that prioritized productquality were involved. Data collection involved twelve semistructured interviews and three structured observations. Thematicanalysis was used to identify recurring patterns and themes,supported by the software NVivo.

Findings:

The study showed that supporting long-term automation goals inreconfigurable assembly systems requires system design principles andquality management principles that prepare assembly systems forgradual automation transition. The key findings included theidentification of system design principles and quality managementprinciples at both manual and semi-automatic assembly levels thatfacilitate the automation transition.

Implications:

The study contributes academically by providing a holisticunderstanding of how system design principles and qualitymanagement principles can be used to support long-term automationgoals in reconfigurable assembly systems. The practical contributioninclude support for manufacturing companies seeking integrate longterm automation goals into the design of reconfigurable assemblysystems while ensuring consistent product quality.

Limitations:

A limitation of this study was that the selected cases were notspecifically chosen based on their experience and work withreconfigurability. Instead, the cases were selected primarily based onthe focus on product quality. If the cases had been selected with afocus on their work with reconfigurable systems, a broader range ofperspectives specific to this area might have emerged.