Advanced Production Machines (APM) are the workmen of the factory of the future.They include machines for processing new/nano/smart/high-performance materials, micro-manufacture (MEMS) machines, rapid manufacturing machines (rapid prototyping and rapid tooling), and manufacturing robots (stationary and mobile). In addition to the challenging ‘stand-alone’ research issues connected to these emerging technologies, this cluster will also consider two key additional complexity issues that require cross-technology network-type co-operation in order to make progress. These issues are:

• Multi-function machines, including machines for multi-material parts (as well as multi-material machines to improve stability and noise and wear characteristics) and multi-process/integrated machines (e.g. rapid tooling in conventional machines).
• Reconfigurable machines, to meet customisability requirements.There is conflict, however, between this requirement and that for specialised machines to meet new material/process requirements and strict production cost and time limits. This tension is partly met by introducing ‘soft’ knowledge-based reconfigurability, embedding intelligence into the machines by means of a full range of integrated sensors, actuators, and embedded software controllers, which can be updated and interrogated as required.