A cell formation approach based on cluster analysis is developed for the configuration of manufacturing cells. Cell formation, which is to group machines and parts into machine cells and the associated part families, is implemented to add the flexibility and efficiency to manufacturing systems. In order to develop an efficient clustering procedure, this paper proposes a cluster analysis-based approach developed by incorporating and modifying two cluster analysis methods, a hierarchical clustering and a non-hierarchical clustering method. The objective of the proposed approach is to minimize intercellular movements and maximize the machine utilization within clusters. The proposed approach is tested on the cell formation problems and is compared with other well-known methodologies available in the literature. The result shows that the proposed approach is efficient enough to yield a good quality solution no matter what the difficulty of data sets is, ill or well-structured.

This study investigates the core elements of the formation and development of cluster using a multi-disciplinary approach and suggests a promoting strategy by development stage of cluster. As a sub-category of regional innovation system, the cluster has been considered as one of the most noticeable methodological argument to make the regional innovation system come true. In the meantime, this study examines the core elements of cluster shown in the theories and examples through six academic fields such as economics, geography, regional development, business administration, sociology and pedagogy and their educational back-ground. By means of establishing the incubation stage in the development of cluster, core elements are composed in the stages of birth, incubation and evolution in subsequent manner. A promoting strategy will be suggested through the implication of core elements in the reestablished stages.