Modelling evolution in manufacturing: A biological analogy

Manufacturing systems evolved over time due to products evolution, changes in market demands, technological advances and emergence of new innovations and designs. All terminology used in conjunction with this evolution to date are synonymous with change. A new classification of the various terms used in the context of manufacturing systems evolution and their definitions, inspired by the evolution manifested in nature, are introduced. An innovative mapping between the evolution of manufactured products and biological evolution is proposed where cladistics are used to track such evolution. Atypical industrial example is used for illustration. The significance and applications of this approach are discussed. The obtained results provide a promising foundation for future research in products and manufacturing systems evolution and co-evolution. (C) 2008 CIRP.