UNIT I Introduction

PROCESS PLANNING

In traditional process planning systems the process plan is prepared manually. The task involves examining and interpreting engineering drawings, making decisions on machining processes selection, equipment selection, operations sequence, and shop practices. Therefore, the manual process plan is very much dependent on the skill, judgment and experience of the process planner. That's why, if different planners were asked to develop a process plan for the same part, they would probably come up with different plans. Process planning is the activity of developing such a plan (manufacturing) is called. Process planning consists of preparing set of instructions that describe how to manufacture the product and its parts. The task of the process planning consists of determining the manufacturing operations required to transform a part from a rough (raw material) to the finished state specified on the engineering drawing It also known as operation planning is the systematic determination of the engineering processes and systems to manufacture a product competitively and economically. Process planning is a detailed specification which lists the operations, tools and facilities. Definition It can be defined as an act of preparing a detailed processing documentation for the manufacture of a piece part or assembly. According to American society of Tool and manufacturing Engineers Process planning is the systematic determination of methods by which a product is to be manuf actured economically and competitively. Importance of process planning Process planning establishes the link between engineering design and shop flow manufacturing. Since process planning determines how a part/product will be manufactured, it becomes the important determinant of production costs and profitability. Also production process plans should be based on in-depth knowledge of process and equipment capabilities, tooling availability, material processing characteristics, related costs, and shop practices. The economic future of the industry demands that, process planning that are developed should be feasible, low cost, and consistent with plans for similar parts. In addition, process planning facilitates the feedback from the shop floor to design engineering regarding the manufacturability to alternative.
SCOPE OF PROCESS PLANNING

A process is defined as any group of actions instrumental to the achievement of the output of an operations system in accordance with specified measure of effectiveness. When the product designed, certain specifications are established; physical dimensions, tolerance, standards and quality are set forth. Then it becomes a matter of deciding over the specific details of how to achieve the desired output. This decision is the essence of process planning. The production function essentially is a transformation process that accepts the inputs and gives the outputs after adding value to the inputs. Process selection is a major strategic decision as it involves allocation of men and material resources as well as financial commitments for a long period. Operation planning is a responsibility of the manufacturing organization. A number of functional staff arrangements are possible. This process leads to the same output despite organizational differences. The following are business objectives for operations planning: 1. New product manufacture A new design may have not been produced before or, alternatively, new manufacturing operations may be introduced for the product. Unless there is planning, the product introduction will be helter-skelter. 2. Sales

Opportunity for greater saleability of an existing or new product can develop from different colours, materials, finish, or functional and non-functional features. Sales and marketing departments provide advice to help manufacturing planning. 3. Quantity Changes in quantity require different sequences, tools, and equipment. The OP planner differentiates for these fluctuations. If volume increases, the chance is for lower cost. In contrast, if volume decreases, the cost should not increase out of reason. There may be a fortuitous opportunity for red-uced cost, if economics and technology will allow substitution of new process, training, and resources even if quantities are reduced. If quantity reduces too much, however, it is appropriate for the OP planner to recommend that production may no longer be economical; perhaps, a supplier may be the appropriate lower cost alternative. 4. Effective use of facilities Operation planning often can find alternate opportunities for the plants production facilities to take up any slack that may develop. Seasonal products, which might be popular in the summer, need an alternative product for the winter season. For example, companies that produce sporting equipment may use the same facilities to produce tennis rackets and skis. 5. Cost reduction Various opportunities become available if the company has an ongoing cost reduction effort. Suggestion plans, value analysis, design for manufacturing (DFM), and directed and systematic efforts involve operations planning.
Concept of process planning: The concept of process planning is to determine 1. The operations involved in the manufacture of each product. 2. The machines on which operations are to be done. 3. The tools, jigs and fixtures required. 4. The material requirements including scrap. 5. The speeds and feeds that are to be used. 6. The type of labour required. 7. The time required for each operation. The above information is made available on process sheet. The main objective of process planning is to find the most economic method of performing an activity. The following information is necessary to carry out this function effectively: 1. Product data. 2. Volume of production. 3. Quality requirements. 4. Equipments and personnel available. 5. Time available to perform the work or delivery date. Preparing Operation Planning Sheet The following informations are required to do the process planning effectively:
1. Quantity of work to be done along with product specifications. 2. Quality of work to be completed. 3. Availability of equipment, tools and personnel. 4. Sequence in which operations will be performed on the raw material. 5. Names of equipments on which the operations will be performed. 6. Standard time for each operation. 7. When the operations will be performed? 8. Cutting speed 9. Feed 10. Material specification. 11. Job rating of labours.

Process Planning Procedure 1. Preparation of working drawings. 2. Deciding t o make or buy. 3. Selecting manufacturing process. 4. Machine capacity and machine selection. 5. Selection of material and bill of materials. 6. Selection of jigs, fixtures and other attachments. 7. Operation planning and tooling requirement. 8. Preparation of documents such as operation sheet and route sheet etc. (a) Make or buy decision Recommendations should be made whether to make or buy the material, part or assembly informations should be sufficiently detailed to take intelligent decisions. Cost and availability of the production capacity are the two important factors in arriving to make or buy decision. Make It requires appropriate production equipment, suitable personnel, material, adequate space,supervisions, design standards and overheads maintenance, taxes, insurances, management attention and other indirect and hidden costs. Buy It permits lower investments, small labour force, less handling, lower plant cost for building and up keep, less overhead or taxes, insurance and supervision and less problems of man-management relations. A company has a choice of three alternatives before starting for a new product. 1. Purchase the product from a contracted manufacturer. 2. Purchase some components and materials and manufacture and assemble the balance in its own plant. 3. Manufacture the product completely, starting with the extraction of basic raw materials. (b) Determination of material requirements The materials required are worked out and arrangements to procure them are made. The procedure for examining the material requirements are given below. 1. Existing requirements for works on hand. 2. The new or extra material required. It is to be calculated from bill of materials. 3. Total material required. 4. Existing stock of materials. 5. Additional materials to be produced. (c) Selection of material, jigs, fixtures etc. The selection of material has become complicated by the great increase not only in the kinds of materials but also in the various forms. The material should be of right quality and chemical composition as per the product specifications. The shape and size of material should restrict the scrap.

(i) Bill of material The most common method of analyzing a product into component parts is through the use of bills of material or specification sheets. Bill of material is a means of determining, purchasing and production order requirements. It should indicate if the part is to be manufactured or purchased. The production control department uses the bill of material to determine manufacturing and scheduling dates. Process engineering uses it as a check list to complete their work. Methods engineering uses it in the preparation of time allowances for assembling operations. Accumulations are made by the stores department according to the bills of materials. The releases by assembly units are made by the finished stores department in accordance with the bills of material. The design of the bill of material varies slightly in minor details. It depends upon the various uses made of it by individual companies. The information usually required on the bill of material form includes: 1. The product name. 2. Product code identification 3. Sheet number. 4. Use. 5. Date of preparation. 6. Name of preparer. 7. Name of checker. 8. Item numbers. 9. Make/purchase designations. 10. Sub assembly part numbers and names. 11. Quantity requirements and, 12. Material used in each part.

(ii) Selection of jigs, fixture and other special attachments These supporting devices are necessary 1. To give higher production rate, and 2. To reduce the cost of production per piece. (d) Selection of machinery The selection of the correct machinery is closely related to the selected process of manufacturing. But it is difficult to separate one from the other. However, there is a major difference between the selection of a process and the selection of a machine.

Machines generally, represent long terms capital commitments. But process may be designed for relatively short duration. The following factors must be taken into account while selecting correct equipment: The size and shape of the workpiece. The work material. The accuracy and surface quality required. The quantity of parts. The sizes of lots required and, Personal preferences. 1. If a number of surfaces are to be machines on a part, the choice is offered of machining them separately, all together or in various combinations. If surfaces on a part are similar in shape and size, they are better suited to being treated in one operation than if they are different from one another. 2. More powerful machines may be needed to work hard material than soft material. 3. Work piece size and dimensions may dictate particular features that a machine tool must have. 4. Small work pieces are handled on equipment different from that used for large parts. As an example, small and medium size parts are turned on horizontal lathes, but short pieces of large diameters are commonly machines on vertical lathes. 5. Small tolerance call for certain types of machine, whereas large tolerance does not call for specific machine. In general, very large parts must be produced by slower methods. As a result, they must be produced on the larger and slower machines, mainly on a tool room basis. Smaller parts whose shape is contributing to ease of handling can be produced on faster machines. They are more readily adapted to mass production. They are exceptions in the pressed metal industry. The size and shape of the workpiece associates itself closely with the size and type of machine required to produce it. Choice may be made between general purpose machines (centre lathes, planners, shapers, drill pressers etc.) and special purpose machines. The general purpose machines have the following characteristics: 1. Usually less initial investment in machines. 2. Greater machine flexibility. 3. Fewer machines may be required. 4. Less maintenance cost. 5. Less set up and debugging time. 6. Less danger of obsolescence. The special purpose machines have the following characteristics: 1. Uniform product flow. 2. Reduced in process inventory. 3. Reduced man power requirements. 4. Reduced factory floor space. 5. Higher output. 6. Higher product quality. 7. Reduced inspection cost. 8. Reduced operator skill requirements. The machines and equipment that will do a job at the lowest total cost are the ones that should be selected. Direct, overhead and fixed costs should be considered. Generally, more items put into one operation. The lesser the handling time, the more the chance for simulation and the lower the direct costs. But the operation is likely to become more complex, calling for more expensive machine.As a rule; a high rate of production justifies a largest investment in machine to reduce direct costs. To select machine tools, an investigation must be made to ascertain the aptitude, range and capacity required for the job. Each type of machine is best suited for certain kind of work. Lathes for turning, drilling machines for holes. A machine must have adequate range and capacity for the work it is to do. The factors determining the range and capacity may be the size of the work piece, the working area, length of stroke, speeds, feed, forces and power required. Personal preference or specific conditions may influence the selection of a machine tool. A particular type of make of machine may be favored, because a person in the past found it dependable, easy to operate, safe and accurate. Often a new machine is not purchased if one almost as good is already in the plant and not fully loaded. (e) Operation planning sheet

A process plan is a complete concept of a process. It is recorded and transmitted in a number of ways to suit various conditions. In a small plant or where skilled workers may be relied upon to perform without detailed instructions, process plans may be recorded quite incompletely. In a large organization with a complex product and highly refined procedures, process plans may be recorded in minute details.

A process planning medium almost universally used is the routing also known as route sheet, process sheet and operation planning sheet. It lists and describes the operations of a process. Routings are written as briefly as possible to save time. They completely designate departments, machines, tools, etc. The operation sheet form will vary for different companies. However, the description of the operation special instructions is usually similar. A process sheet is a manufacturing engineering document. It should be sufficiently explicit so that operational personnel (example: workers) can perform every operation/function necessary to produce the finished component and that operations can establish staffing and piece cost from which to judge operation efficiency during and after physically launching the operation. The process sheet contains columns for recording operations, tools, types of machine used, speed, feed, times etc. Shop floor personnels i.e., supervisors and workers will follow the informations/instructions given in the process sheet to carry out the necessary operations to make a finished part. The process sheet gives an estimate of time required to manufacture the finished part and the requirements men, machines, materials and tools required for the said purpose. It also indicates through which departments and machines, the raw material has to route before being converted into finished goods. A process sheet is required to be made for every component to be manufacturer. A process sheet is necessary in order to (i) Check the progress of component parts through the cycle of production operations. (ii) Make sure that the delivery dates (of the finished goods) will be met. (iii) Control and expedite the work if required. Overall development of process planning plans

Process planning is an intermediate stage between designing the product and manufacturing it.

Design Specification and requirements

Sales forecasts How many to make

Functional design

Product Design

Production design, basic decisions setting minimum possible costs

Drawing and specifications of what to make

Product analysis assembly charts and flow charts

BU Y

Make / Buy decisions

Process Planning

Process decisions selection from alternative processes

Route sheet and operation sheets; specification of how to manufacture

Work place and tool designs

Modifications of process plans due to layout, quality preference and machine availability

Responsibility of process planning Engineer Various responsibilities of process engineer are given below 1. Interpreting part print analysis and symbols. 2. Gathering the fundamental details of product design such as (i) type of rough stock

(ii) dimensional tolerances (iii) type of finish (iv) production rate (v) production volume (vi) scrap losses (vii) down time (viii) design changes etc 3. Selecting the machining process. 4. Selecting proper machining with allied tooling based on (i) Required machine capability (ii) Set up time (iii) Practical lot size (iv) Quality of parts (v) Cost of tooling, and (vi) Type of tooling 5. Sequencing the operations. 6. Deciding on the inspection equipment in order to meet the desired quality. 7. Determining proper cutting tools and cutting conditions. 8. Calculating the overall times using work measurement techniques. Factors affecting process planning Volume of production The skill and expertise of manpower Delivery dates for parts or products Material specifications Accuracy and process capability of machines Accuracy requirements of parts or products. Process planning activities Analysis of the finished part requirements as specified in the engineering design. Determining the sequence of operations required. Selecting the proper equipment to accomplish the required operations. Calculating the specific operation setup times and cycle times on each machine. Documenting the established process plans. Communicating the manufacturing knowledge to the hop floor.

PROCESS PLANNING ANALYSE Part requirements

DETERMINE Operation Sequence

SELECT Equipment

CALCULATE Processing times

DOCUMENT Process plan

COMMUNICATE Manufacturing Engineer Shop

Process planning activities

Finished Part Requirements First step in the process planning is to analyze the finished part requirements as specified in the engineering design. The engineering design may be shown either on an engineering drawing or in a CAD model format. The component drawings should be analyzed in detail to identify its features, dimensions, and tolerance specifications. The parts requirement defined by its feature, dimensions, and tolerance specifications will determine the corresponding processing requirements (such as operations encompassing part shape generation, inspections, testing, heat treatment, surface coating, packaging, etc) Information required to do process planning

Quantity of work to be done along with product specifications. Quality of work to be completed. Availability of equipments tools and personnel. Sequence in which operations will be performed on the raw material. Names of equipments on which the operations will be performed. Standard time for each operation. When the operations will be performed?

Process planning procedure The different steps involved in process planning are: Preparation of working drawings. Deciding to make or buy. Selection of manufacturing process. Machine capacity and machine/equipment selection. Selection of material and bill of material. Selection of jigs, fixtures and other attachments. Operation planning and tooling requirements. Preparation of documents such as operation and route sheets etc.

Process planning activities (details)

Step-I: Analyse finished part requirements

The first step in the process planning is to analyse the finished part requirements as specified in the engineering design. The engineering design may be shown either on an engineering drawing or in a CAD model format. The component drawings should be analysed in detail to identify its features, dimensions, and tolerances specifications. The parts requirement defined by its features, dimensions, and tolerances specifications will determine the corresponding processing requirements (such as operations encompassing part shape generation, inspections, testing, heat treatment, surface coating, packaging etc) Step-II: Determine operating sequence To determine the sequence of operations required to transform the features, dimensions, and tolerances on the part from a rough (initial) to a finished state. The basic aim of this step is to determine the type of processing operation that has the capability to generate the various types of features, given the tolerance requirements. There are two alternative ways of viewing the decision process in determining the sequence of operation.

1. The first view is to consider the processing evolution of the part from the rough (i.e., intial) state to the finished final state. In this view, like in conventional production shop, material is removed or modified on the rough part in stages in order to transform it to the finished part. 2. Second view is to consider part evolution from a finished state back to a rough/initial state. In this view, in contrast to the first view, the operation processing is planned by adding material back onto the part. Machines selection

o o

Once the appropriate type of manufacturing process has been determined the next step in process planning is to select appropriate machines, equipment, and tools to accomplish the required operations. There are many factors which influence the selection of machines. The following considerations are to be made while selecting a machine: Economic considerations

Due analysis should be made with respect to the initial cost, maintenance and running cost. An alternative which results in lower cost should be selected. o Production rate and unit cost of production o Durability and dependability o Lower process rejection o Minimum set up and put away times. o Lower productive life of machines or equipment. o Functional versatility (ie) ability to perform more than one function. o Machine selection generally requires determining how the part would be processed on each of the alternative machines. So that the best machine can be selected. o Also at the machine selection phase, the firm has to decide whether to make (manufacture) buy the component part. o In this regard, break even analysis is the most convenient method for selecting the optimum method of manufacture or machine amongst the competing ones. Material selection parameters The selection of a sound, economical material is an another important aspect of process planning .They are o Function: Many of the parameters developed for material selection are related to the functions the product must perform in terms of mechanical, physical, electrical, and thermal properties of materials. o Appearance: the aesthetic value of the material must be considered while selecting the material. o Reliability: Reliability is another important criteria for material selection because of increasing consumer demands for trouble free products. o Service lift: The length of service life over which the material maintains its desirable characteristics is a very important consideration in material selection. o Environment: The environment to which the material is exposed during the product life is a very important consideration, depending on whether the environment is beneficial or harmful. o Compatibility: this is an important factor influencing material selection, especially whenever more than one type of material is used in a product or assembly. o Producibility: the ease of Producibility of an item is an important parameter in the selection of material. o Cost: The cost of the material is a significant factor contributing to the overall cost. It should be noted that the tolerance specifications are primary factors in determining the sequence of operations. Step: 3 Select machines o Once the appropriate type of manufacturing process has been determined, the next step in process planning is to select appropriate machines, equipment, and tools to accomplish the required operations. o There are many factors which influence the selection of machines. The following considerations are to be made while selecting a machine: (i) Economic considerations: Due analysis should be made with respect to the initial cost, maintenance and running cost. An alternative which results in lower total cost should be selected. (ii) Production rate band unit cost of production. Step: 4 Calculate processing Times

After an appropriate set of machines required is selected, the next step in process planning is to calculate the specific operation setup times and cycle times on each machine. o The determination of set up times requires knowledge of available tooling and the sequence of steps necessary to prepare the machine for processing the given work piece. o For establishing accurate set up times, detailed knowledge of equipment capability, tooling and shop practice is required. o The calculation of part processing time requires the determination of the sequence of processing steps on each machine. This activity is often called out planning. o To calculate machine cycle time (part loading, unloading, machine indexing) allowances (for operator personal time, fatigue time, and supplemental time) are added to calculate the standard cycle time for processing one piece. o With the calculated cycle time, appropriate machines rates (Rs/per hour) are applied to calculate the expected standard cost for the given operation. Step: 5 Communicate process knowledge o o o The final step in process planning is to Communicate the manufacturing knowledge to the shop floor (through the operations sheet and process drawing) This communication is essential to ensure that the part will be processed according to the most economically possible way determined through process planning. Also the process documentation and corresponding communication provide a basis for improved part consistency and quality in manufacturing.

Document process planning One of the important steps in process planning to document clearly all the information in detail. The resulting process plan is generally documented as a job routing or operation sheet. The operation sheet is also called route sheet, instruction sheet, traveler, or planner. Route sheet usually provides the following information: (i) Part identification (numbers and names) (ii) Description of the processing steps in each operation. (iii) Operation sequence and machines. (iv) Standard setup and cycle times. (v) Tooling requirements of each operation. (vi) Production control information showing the planning lead time at each operation.

Reasons for process documentation Process planning is essentially documented for the following three reasons: To have a record on how a part is processed in order to plan future parts with similar design requirements in a consistent manner. To provide a record for future job quoting, cost estimating, and standard costing systems. To act as a vehicle for communication.

DEVELOPING MANUFACTURING LOGIC AND KNOWLEDGE

To support a Process planning system, the acquisition and documentation of manufacturing knowledge is very essential.

It is generally agreed that knowledge structure should be determined prior to any type of program coding or data presentation. A sound knowledge structure will to ensure error reduction, debugging case, clarity, and future modification. Thus production engineers need a tool to develop a knowledge structure format that can be used in an interactive process and will emphasize what questions to ask and what data to collect to support a standardized format. Three commonly used tools for acquiring and documenting knowledge are: 1. Flow charts 2. Decision tables, and 3. Expert system shells.

Flow charts One of the most commonly used tools for the collection and display of manufacturing knowledge. Flow charts are widely used because they are commonly taught in computer programming subjects. Disadvantages Flow charts focus on process rather than on the structure of decision logic. Flowcharts provide no check against incompleteness, contradiction, and redundancy. Flow charts often employ abbreviations and hence they are defective for effective communication of knowledge. Decision tables Decision tables are a system/logic tool to bring together, analyse, and display complex decision logic in such a way that its meaning can be readily grasped. Decision Table format

RULES

IF

Condition Stub Action Stub

Condition Entries Action Entries

THE N

In figure, the top IF portion of the table shows the various that may apply, while the lower THEN portion of the table indicate he appropriate actions available. The left portion of the table contains the stub in which each of the possible conditions or actions is stated, while the right portion lists the various entries (yes or no) that are possible for each stub conditions and actions Benefits of decision tables 1. Decision tables assist the production engineering in thinking through a problem thoroughly and presenting its resolution in a systematic and rationally structured format. 2. Decision tables ensure accuracy, eliminate redundancy, and avoid contradiction. 3. Decision tables assist in stating the problem, agreeing on criteria, stating alternatives; and accepting actions between criteria and alternative.

4. Decision tables provide knowledge structure and readable documentation as a byproduct.

Expert system shells Expert system is one of the latest system tools for the development and display of manufacturing knowledge. Using an expert system shell, the knowledge engineers can collect the information to develop a knowledge base within the predefined decision structure of the shell. In figure, the basic format of a rule-based system shell is quite similar to the decision tables format. Like decision tables format, in rule- based expert system, the knowledge base is formatted in structures of if this condition then this action, or if this condition then this action, or else this action.

Expert

Knowledge Engineer

Knowledge Base IF/THEN rules

Queries

Interference Engine forward or backward logic chaining

Report Generator, conclusions, interference explanation

User

Answer

Approaches to process planning The two general approaches to process planning are: 1. Manual process planning and 2. Computer aided process planning (CAPP) (i) Retrieval CAPP system. (ii) Generative CAPP system.

1. Manual process planning (Traditional Process planning) The duty involves examining and interpreting engineering drawings, making decision on processes selection, equipment, operations sequence, and shop practices. Therefore, the manual process plan is very much dependent on the skill, judgment and experience of the process planner. Thats why, if different planners were asked to develop a process plan for the s ame part, they would probably come up with different plans. Advantages of Manual process planning Manual process planning is very much suitable for small scale companies with few process plans to generate. This method is highly flexible. This required low investment costs.

Disadvantages of Manual process planning Manual process planning is a very complex and time consuming job requiring a few process plans to generate. This method requires the skilled process planner. More possibilities for human error because this method depends on the planners skill, judgement and experience. It increases paper work. Inconsistent process plans result in reduced productivity. Computer Aided Process Planning (CAPP)

In order to overcome the draw backs of manual process planning, the CAPP is used. With the use of computers in the process planning, one can reduce the routine work of manufacturing engineers.

Also it provides the opportunity to generate rational, consistent and optimal plans. In addition, CAPP provides the interface between CAD and CAM. Benefits of CAPP The benefits of implementing CAPP include the following: 1. Process rationalization and standardization : CAPP leads to more logical and consistent process plans than manual process planning. 2. Productivity improvement: As a result of standard process plan, the productivity is improved (due to more efficient utilization of resources such as machines, tooling, stock material and labour) 3. Product cost reduction: Standard plans tend to result in lower manufacturing costs and higher product quality. 4. Elimination of human error 5. Reduction in time: As a result of computerizing the work, a job that used to take several days, is now done in a few minutes. 6. Reduced clerical effort and paper work.

7. Improved legibility: Computer- prepared route sheets are neater and easier to read than manually prepared route sheets. 8. Faster response to engineering changes: Since the logic in the memory of the computer, CAPP becomes more responsive to any changes in the production parameters than he manual method of process planning. 9. Incorporation of other application programs : The CAPP program can be interfaced with other application programs such as cost estimating and work standards.

Approaches of CAPP/Types of CAPP

Two methods are (i) Retrieval (or Variant) CAPP system. Retrieval (or Variant) CAPP system

(ii) Generative CAPP system.

This system has been widely used in machining applications. The basic idea behind the retrieval CAPP is that similar parts will have similar process plans. In this system, a process plan for a new part is created by recalling, identifying, and retrieving an existing plan for a similar part, and making the necessary modifications for the new part.

Procedure for using Retrieval (or Variant) CAPP system

New Product design

Derive GT code number for part

Preparatory Stage

Search part family file for GT code number

Part family file

Select coding system and form part families

Retrieve standard process plan

Standard process plan file

Prepare Standard process plans for part families

Edit existing plan or write new plan

Process plan formatter

Other application programs such as cost estimating and work standards

Process plan (Route sheet)

A retrieval CAPP system is based on the principles of Group Technology (GT) and parts classification and coding. In this system, for each part family a standard process plan (i.e., route sheet) is prepared and stored in computer files. Through classification and coding, a code number is generated. These codes are often used to identify the part family and the associated standard plan. The standard plan is retrieved and edited for the new part. Advantages of Retrieval (or Variant) CAPP system Once a standard plan has been written; a variety of parts can be planned. Comparatively simple programming and installation.(compared with generative CAPP is required to implement a planning system. The system is understandable, and the planner has control of the final plan. It is easy to learn easy to use.

Drawbacks of (Variant) CAPP system The components to be planned are limited to similar components previously planned. Experienced process planners are still required to modify the standard plan for the specific component. Note: 1. This system has the capacity to alter an existing process plan. So it is called as Variant CAPP system. 2. The commercially available retrieval CAPP systems are Multi CAPP and MIPLAN. GENERATIVE CAPP SYSTEM In the generative approach, the computer is used to synthesize or generate each individual process plan automatically and without reference to any prior plan. A generative CAPP system generates the process plan based on decision logics and pre-code algorithms. The computer stores the rules of manufacturing and the equipment capabilities (not any group of process plans). When using a system, specific process plan for a specific part can be generated without any involvement of a process planner. The human role in running the system includes: (i) Inputting the GT code of the given part design, and (ii) Monitoring the function. Components of a Generative CAPP System The various components are: A part description: which identifies a series of component characteristics, including geometric features, dimensions, tolerances, and surface condition. A sub system to define the machining parameters, for example using look-up tables and analytical results for cutting parameters. A sub system to select and sequence individual operations : Decision logic is used to associate appropriate operations with features of a component, and heuristic and algorithms are used to calculate operation step, times and sequences. A database of available machines and tooling. A report generator which prepares the process plan report. Advantages of Generative CAPP System It can generate consistent process plans rapidly. New components can be planned as easily as existing components. It has potential for integrating with an automated manufacturing facility to provide detailed control information. Drawbacks of Generative CAPP System This approach is complex and very difficult to develop. Note: Commercially available generative CAPP systems are APPAS, CMPP, EXCAP and XPLAN.