Flexible Manufacturing Systems

Chapter 1 and 2
Ryerson University
Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
Fall 2015

Chapter 1: Introduction to Production

(Manufacturing) Systems
o Production Systems
o Automation in Production Systems
o Manual Labor in Production Systems
o Automation Principles and Strategies

Chapter 1: Introduction to Production

(Manufacturing) Systems
Production Systems: A collection of people, equipment, and procedures
organized to accomplish the manufacturing operations of a company

Chapter 1: Introduction to Production

(Manufacturing) Systems
Consist of the factory and equipment in the
facility and the way the facility is organized
(plant layout)

The procedures used by a company to

manage production and to solve technical and
logistics problems in ordering materials,
moving work through the factory, and
ensuring that products meet quality standards

Chapter 1: Introduction to Production

(Manufacturing) Systems
Three categories in terms of the human participation in the processes performed by
the manufacturing system:
o Manual work system - a worker performing one or more tasks without the aid
of powered tools, but sometimes using hand tools

o Worker-machine system - a worker operating powered equipment (using

machine tools)

o Automated system - a process performed by a machine without direct

participation of a human

Chapter 1: Introduction to Production

(Manufacturing) Systems

Chapter 1: Introduction to Production

(Manufacturing) Systems
Manufacturing support involves a sequence of activities that consists of four
functions:

Business functions - sales and marketing, order entry, cost accounting,

customer billing

Product design - research and development, design engineering,

prototype shop (customized production, customerization production)

Manufacturing planning - process planning, production planning, MRP,

capacity planning

Manufacturing control - shop floor control, inventory control, quality

control

Chapter 1: Introduction to Production

(Manufacturing) Systems

Chapter 1: Introduction to Production

(Manufacturing) Systems
Two categories of automation in the production system:
1. Automation of manufacturing systems in the factory
2. Computerization of the manufacturing support systems

The two categories overlap because manufacturing support systems

are connected to the factory manufacturing systems

Chapter 1: Introduction to Production

(Manufacturing) Systems

Chapter 1: Introduction to Production

(Manufacturing) Systems
Examples of Automation:
o Automation machine tools
o Transfer lines
o Automated assembly system
o Industrial robots that perform processing or assembly systems
o Automatic material handling tools and systems
o Automatic inspection systems for quality control

Chapter 1: Introduction to Production

(Manufacturing) Systems
Types of Automation Manufacturing Systems:
1. Fixed automation
2. Programmable automation
3. Flexible automation

Fixed Automation
A manufacturing system in which the sequence of processing (or assembly)
operations is fixed by the equipment configuration

Typical features:
o Suited to high production quantities
o High initial investment for custom-engineered equipment
o High production rates
o Relatively inflexible in accommodating product variety

Programmable Automation
A manufacturing system designed with the capability to change the sequence of
operations to accommodate different product configurations

Typical features:
o
o
o
o
o

High investment in general purpose equipment

Lower production rates than fixed automation
Flexibility to deal with variations and changes in product configuration
Most suitable for batch production
Physical setup and part program must be changed between jobs (batches)
CNC, Industrial robots in assembly systems

Flexible Automation
An extension of programmable automation in which the system is capable of changing
over from one job to the next with no lost time between jobs

Typical features:
o
o
o
o

High investment for custom-engineered system

Continuous production of variable mixes of products
Medium production rates
Flexibility to deal with soft product variety
Automotive industry

Computerized Manufacturing
Support Systems
Objectives of automating the manufacturing support systems:
1. Computer integrated manufacturing (CIM) denotes the pervasive use of
computer systems to design product, plan production, control operations and
processing information related to business functions etc.

2. To reduce the manual and clerical effort in product design, manufacturing

planning and control, and the business functions

3. Integrates computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing

(CAM) in CAD/CAM

Manual Labor or Automation?

Relative Strength of humans

Relative strength of machines

Develop new solution for problems

Adapt to change

Store large amounts of data

Perform multiple tasks at the same
time

Learn from experience

Making decision based on
incomplete data

Perform computation quickly

Make routine decisions quickly

Generalize from observations

Apply high forces and power

Manual Labor in Production Systems

Is there a place for manual labor in the modern production system?
Answer: YES
Two aspects:
1. Manual labor in factory operations
2. Labor in manufacturing support systems

Automation Principles and Strategies

1. The USA Principle
2. Ten Strategies for Automation and Process Improvement
3. Automation Migration Strategy
USA principles:
1. Understand the existing process
Input/output analysis
Value chain analysis
Charting techniques and mathematical modeling
2. Simplify the process
Reduce unnecessary steps and moves
3. Automate the process
Ten strategies for automation and production systems
Automation migration strategy

Automation Migration Strategy

For Introduction of New Products
Phase 1 Manual production
1. Single-station manned cells working independently
2. Advantages: quick to set up, low-cost tooling
Phase 2 Automated production
1. Single-station automated cells operating independently
2. As demand grows and automation can be justified
Phase 3 Automated integrated production
1. Multi-station system with serial operations and automated transfer of work
units between stations

Automation Migration Strategy

For Introduction of New Products

Chapter 2: Overview of Manufacturing

o Manufacturing Industries and Products
o Manufacturing Operations
o Production Facilities
o Product/Production Relationships

Chapter 2: Overview of Manufacturing

Application of physical and chemical processes to alter the geometry,
properties, and/or appearance of a given starting material to make parts or
products
o Manufacturing also includes assembly
o Accomplished by a combination of machinery, tools, power, and manual
labor.
o Almost always carried out as a sequence of operations

Chapter 2: Overview of Manufacturing

Modern Manufacturing and Realities

Globalization. Lower labor cost
International outsourcing. Loss of jobs, need transportation
Contract Manufacturing. Produce entire product under contract
Quality expectations. Highest quality
The need for operational efficiency. Improving efficiency and decreasing cost

Manufacturing Industry Classification

1. Primary industries cultivate and exploit natural resources
Examples: agriculture, mining
2. Secondary industries convert output of primary industries into products
Examples: manufacturing, power generation, construction
3. Tertiary industries service sector
Examples: banking, education, government, legal services, retail trade,
transportation

Manufacturing Industry Classification

1. Process industries, e.g., chemicals, petroleum, basic metals, foods and
beverages, power generation
Continuous production (continuous stream of material)
Batch production
2. Discrete product (and part) industries, e.g., cars, aircraft, appliances,
machinery, and their component parts
Continuous production (equipment is used exclusively for a given product
Batch production

Manufacturing Industry Classification

Manufacturing Operations
o There are certain basic activities that must be carried out in a factory to
convert raw materials into finished products

o For discrete products:

1. Processing and assembly operations
2. Material handling
3. Inspection and testing
4. Coordination and control

Material Handling and Storage

Material transport
Vehicles, e.g., forklift trucks, AGVs, monorails
Conveyors
Hoists and cranes
Storage systems
Automatic identification and data capture (AIDC)
Bar codes
RFID

Time Spent in material Handling

Production Variety
o Refers to the number of different product or part designs or types produced in the
plant

Hard product variety products differ greatly

Few common components in an assembly
Soft product variety small differences between products
Many common components in an assembly

Production Quality
o Number of units of a given part or product produced annually by the plant
Three quantity ranges:
1. Low production 1 to 100 units
2. Medium production 100 to 10,000 units
3. High production 10,000 to millions of units

Different production facilities are required for each of the 3 ranges and product
variety

Production Variety/Production Quality

Low Production
Job shop makes low quantities of specialized and customized products

o Products are typically complex (e.g., specialized machinery, prototypes,

space capsules)
o Equipment is general purpose
o Labor is highly skilled
o Designed for Maximum flexibility
Plant layouts:
Fixed position
Process layout

Low Production

Medium Production
1. Batch production A batch of a given product is produced, and then the
facility is changed over to produce another product

Changeover takes time setup time

Typical layout process layout

Hard product variety

2. Cellular manufacturing A mixture of products is made without significant

changeover time between products

Typical layout cellular layout

Soft product variety

Medium Production
If hard product variety use process layout and produce part in batches
If soft variety can use cellular system. Different cells can be designed to
produce set of similar parts.
Cell is determined by Group Technology

Cellular Layout

High Production
o Quantity production Equipment is dedicated to the manufacture of one product
(mass production)
o Types of layout:
1. Process layout
2. Flow line production (product layout)
Multiple workstations arranged in sequence
Single- station

Relationships between Plant Layout and Type of

Production Facility

Limitations and Capabilities of a Manufacturing Plant

Manufacturing capability - the technical and physical limitations of a manufacturing
firm and each of its plants
Three dimensions of manufacturing capability:
1. Technological processing capability - the available set of manufacturing
processes
2. Physical size and weight of product
3. Production capacity (plant capacity) - production quantity that can be made in
a given time