User:Ttufte/Fractal manufacturing

Fractal Manufacturing System

Fractal manufacturing system (FrMS) is a concept derived from the fractal factory introduced by Warnecke (1993). The architectural model of fractals represents a hierarchical structure built out of the elements of a BFU, and the design of a basic unit incorporates a set of pertinent attributes that can fully represent any level in the hierarchy (Tirpak et al. 1992). In other words, the term ‘fractal’ can represent an entire manufacturing shop at the highest level or a physical machine at the lowest level. Each BFU provides services with an individual goal and acts independently.

To function as a coherent whole, however, goal consistency is maintained through a goal-formation process, which is supported by an inheritance mechanism (Tharumarajah et al. 1996). Self-organization, self-optimization, goal-orientation, self-similarity, and dynamics are described as the main characteristics of fractals