In recent years, the need for more flexible manufacturing systems has increased. This is caused by the consumers’ increasing demand for more individualized products at a low price point. To achieve this, the manufacturing companies must be able to produce the products with a high variety and high production volume. This requires a multitude of flexibility types, such as product flexibility, control program flexibility, material handling flexibility, and similar. One of the manufacturing system paradigms that address these types of flexibility, is Matrix-Structured Manufacturing Systems, also often denoted simply Matrix Production. Matrix-Structured Manufacturing Systems consist of reconfigurable, standardized work cells, typically scattered in a matrix pattern, with a flexible non-linear material flow between the work cells. This material flow is typically enabled by automatic guided vehicles or autonomous mobile robots. As the work cells, depending on the tool configuration, can perform multiple work packages, they enable redundancy, parallel manufacturing of different products and product families, as well as upscaling and downscaling of the production throughput. The current literature on this type of manufacturing system is though primarily focused on the design of the manufacturing system and critical components of it, such as control of the automatic guided vehicles. This means that the current literature does not address the transition from design to operations of this manufacturing system. This research gap is addressed in this PhD dissertation, where it investigates: 1) How Matrix-Structured Manufacturing Systems facilitate flexibility, 2) How to design Matrix-Structured Manufacturing Systems, and 3) How to control Matrix-Structured Manufacturing Systems These research questions are answered using respectively a systematic literature review, a laboratory case study, and two company case studies. The results from these methodologies yield, among others, two approaches to design both the work cells and products within this type of manufacturing system. To fully benefit from the increased flexibility from this manufacturing system, a control system architecture targeted Matrix-Structured Manufacturing Systems is furthermore developed. Based on the results from the research questions, Matrix-Structured Manufacturing Systems are discussed in relation to a supply chain perspective. This perspective pays special attention to the resilience that is both enabled and required, when implementing this type of manufacturing system. Additionally, a sustainability perspective is discussed in connection with the supply chain perspective. Finally, Matrix-Structured Manufacturing Systems are discussed as an enabler for new business opportunities, such as Manufacturing-as-a-Service. With this foundation, a discussion and reflection on Matrix-Structured Manufacturing Systems as a manufacturing system of the future is presented.

I løbet af den seneste årrække, er behovet for mere fleksible produktionssystemer steget markant. Dette skyldes forbrugernes øgede efterspørgsel efter individualiserede produkter til en lav købspris. For at produktionsvirksomhederne kan realisere dette, skal de både kunne producere meget individualiserede produkter, samt i et højt styktal. Dette kræver forskellige typer af fleksibilitet, såsom produktfleksibilitet, kontrolprogramsfleksibilitet, materialeflowsfleksibilitet og lignende. Ét af de produktionsparadigmer, der addresserer flere af disse typer fleksibilitet, er Matrix-Structured Manufacturing Systems, også på dansk typisk kaldet Matrix Produktion. Matrix Produktion består fundamentalt af rekonfigurerbare, standardiserede produktionsceller, typisk struktureret i en matrix, med et fleksibelt ikkelineært materialeflow imellem, oftest realiseret af selvkørende robotter. Idet produktionscellerne, alt afhængig af deres konfiguration af værktøj, kan udføre flere arbejdspakker, dannes der rammerne for redundans, parallel produktion af forskellige produkter og produktfamilier, samt op- og nedskalering af disses produktionsvolumen. Den nuværende literatur om Matrix Produktion er dog primært centreret omkring designet af produktionssystemet, samt kritiske komponenter deraf, såsom styringsalgoritmer til de selvkørende robotter. Der er imidlertid ikke fokus på produktionssystemets transition fra design til implementering.Denne mangel i den nuværende literatur addresseres af denne PhD afhandling, idet den besvarer hvorledes: 1) Matrix Produktion faciliterer fleksibilitet, 2) Matrix Produktion designes, samt 3) Matrix Produktion bedst styres. Disse forskningsspørgsmål bliver besvaret ved brug af henholdsvis en systematisk literaturgennemgang, efterfulgt af et laboratoriebaseret casestudie, samt to virksomhedscasestudier. Resultaterne deraf udmunder blandt andet i to metodiske tilgange til at designe produktionscellerne i en Matrix Produktion, samt produkterne der skal produceres deri. For at få fuldt udbytte af den øgede fleksiblitet, er der også udviklet en dedikeret kontrolsystemsarkitektur til Matrix Produktion. Baseret på disse resultater, diskuteres Matrix Produktion, set i forhold til et forsyninskædeperspektiv med øget fokus på dennes robusthed og hvordan Matrix Produktion båder afhænger af og øger denne. Ydermere diskuteres Matrix Produktion i forhold til et bæredygtighedsperspektiv, der også sammenholdes med forsyningskæderobustheden. Sidst, men ikke mindst, med fodfæste i disse perspektiver, diskuteres det hvorledes Matrix Produktion danner grobund for nye forretningsmuligheder, for eksempel andelsproduktion. På den baggrund opsummeres diskussionen med en reflektion om Matrix Produktion som fremtidens produktionssystem.