An introduction of small-scale intelligent manufacturing system

Manufacturing companies in Northern Peripheral and Arctic region are predominately small and medium-sized and face considerable challenges like geographical isolation and a lack of benefits offered by industrial clusters. For the ultimate goal of enhancing their competitiveness in a global market, it is imperative for companies to innovate or adopt innovations in order to quickly response to changes in market, meet customer demands, reduce time-to-market and lower cost. A novel concept for small-scale intelligent manufacturing systems (SIMS) is introduced, in which diverse methods and innovative technologies can be applied and integrated. This paper gives an introduction of SIMS, defines its design objectives, and summarizes major relevant tools, techniques and paradigms for the development of SIMS, to generate a facilitative environment for small and medium-scale manufacturing enterprises to embrace new and innovative technologies.