Flexible Manufacturing System (FMS): Definition and How It Works

Updated September 05, 2024

Reviewed by

Fact checked by

Flexible Manufacturing System (FMS): A production method that is designed to easily adapt to changes in the type and quantity of the product being manufactured. — Investopedia / Michela Buttignol

What Is a Flexible Manufacturing System (FMS)?

A flexible manufacturing system (FMS) is a production method that is designed to easily adapt to changes in the type and quantity of the product being manufactured. Machines and computerized♏ systems can be configured to manufacture a variety of parts and handle changing levels of production.

Key Takeaways

A flexible manufacturing system (FMS) is designed up front to be readily adapted to changes in the type and quantity of goods being produced.
Production in an FMS is largely automated, reducing overall labor costs.
An FMS system is, however, more expensive to design and put in place than a fixed system, and it requires skilled technicians.

Understanding a Flexible Manufacturing System (FMS)🎃

A flexible manufacturing system (FMS) can improve efficiency and reduce production costs, which are crucial concerns in 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:the proc🧸ess of business development. Flexible manufacturing also can be a key component of a 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:make-to-order strategy that allows c🐬ustomized produc🀅ts and keeps inventories low. Such flexibility can come with higher up-front costs. Purchasing and installing the specialized equipment that allows for such customization may🐻 be costly compared with more traditional systems.

The concept of flexible manufacturing was developed by Jerome H. Lemelson (1923–1997), an American industrial🥀 engineer anꩲd inventor who filed a number of related patents in the early 1950s. His original design was a robot-based system that could weld, rivet, convey, and inspect manufactured goods.

Lemelson did not build his system; indeed, when he posited it, the ability to build it was still out of reach. Eventually, however, it became possible to build one, and the FMS debuted on factory floors in the United States and Europe in the late 1960s and started to proliferate in the 1970s.

An FMS may include a configuration of interconnected workstations with computer terminals that process the 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:end-to-end creation of a product. Functions may include loading and unloading, machining and assembly, storing, quality testing, and data processing. The system can be programmed to run ﷺa batch of one set of products in a particular quantity and then automatically switch over to another set of products in another quantity.

Important

Flexible manufacturing can be a key component o🐓f a make-to-order strategy that allows buyers to order customized products.

Advantages and Disadvantages of a Flexible Manufacturing System (FMS🐠)

The main benefit is the enhancement of production efficiency. Downtime is reduced because the 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:production line does not have to♉ be shut down to set up for a different product.

The disadvantages of an FMS include its higher up-front costs and the greater time required to design the system specifications for future needs. Specialized technicians needed to run, monitor, and maintain the FMS also add expense. However, advocates of FMS maintain that the increase in automation typically results in a net reduction in 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:labor costs.

Pros and Cons of an FMS

Pros

More efficient production leads to longer-term꧒ savings.
Quickly adapts to ch🍰anging needs꧙ and customizations.

Cons

An FMS has higher upfront costs and takes timཧe to🔯 set up.
An FMS requi🍌res specialized technicians, whic😼h may increase labor costs.

How Is a Flexible Management System (FMS) Set Up?

An FMS may be set up in a number of ways. After all, its main lure is its adaptability. One configuration might involve interconnected computer workstations that process the end-to-end creation of a product. This starts with loading/unloading functions and proceedsꦫ to machining and assembly, storing, quality testing, and data processing. The FMS programming can automatically switch from one set of products in a certain amount to another set in a different amount.

What Are the Benefits and Drawbacks of an FMS?

The main benefit of an FMS is that it makes production more efficient. Delays 🐻are reduced, as production doesn’t have to be s⛎hut down to set up for a different product.

Drawbacks include higher up-front costs and the greater time required to design the system specificati﷽ons for a variety of future needs. There is also an additional cost for the specialized technicians who work the FMS.

Nevertheless, the system’s automation general🌊ly leads to an overall reduction in labor costs.

Who Invented the FMS?

Jerome H. Lemelson (1923–1997), an American industrial engineer and inventor, is credited with developing the concept of flexible 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:manufacturing. His initial design featured a robot-based system that could weld, rivet, convey, and inspect manufactured goods. Systems based on his design began showing up on factory floors in the United States and Europe in the late 1960s, becoming even more popular in the 1970s.

The Bottom Line

A flexible management system (FMS) is used in manufacturing industries to quickly adapt a production line to changes in the product being manufactured. An FMS uses computer-controlled robots and sensors to quickly adapt production processes according to customer needs.

Article Sources

Investopedia requires writers to use primary sources to support their work. These include white papers, government data, original reporting, and interviews with industry experts. We also reference original research from other reputable publishers where appropriate. You can learn more about the standards we follow in producing accurate, unbiased content in our editorial policy.

Smithsonian Institution. "."

Partner Links

Economies of Scope: Definitionಞ, Example, and Importance

Firms: Definition in Business, How They Work, and Ty﷽pes

Perfect Competition: Examples and How It Works

What Is a Paradigm Shif💛t? Definition, Example, and Meaning

Opportunity Cost: Definition,🃏 Formula, and Ex🌊amples

Economies 🌞of Scale⛎: What Are They and How Are They Used?

Vendor: Anyone who sells goods or services.

What Is a Vendor? Definition, Types, and Example

Net Operating Profit💟 After Tax (NOPAT) Definiti💧on and Formula

A business team discusses a business plan with diagrams, documents and digital devices in the office.

What Is a FIG at an Investment Bank?

Business man using calculator analyzing costs.

Are Marginal Costs Fixed or Variable Costs?

Quality Control (QC): What It Is,ꦫ How It Works, and QC Careers

Competitive Advantage Definition Withౠ Types 💫and Examples

Expense: Definition, Types, and How ♍It Is Recorded

Porter Diamond Model: What It Is and How It Works

Value Chain: Definition, Model, ✃Analysis, and Example

Pareto Analysis: Definition, How to Create a Pareto Chart♚, and Example

澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网