20.

COMPUTER INTEGRATED MANUFACTURING AND FLEXIBLE MANUFACTURING SYSTEM

\

Manufacturing industry has progressed through the \ phases of Industrialization, Mechanization, Autc:r.~tiG~(C~~put~rization) and Integration (Linking). Productivity improvement is the main thrust

in all these phases.

Integration of automated industry is now recognized by the widely accepted label of 'Computer Integrated Manufacturing' (CIM). Factory integration enables better organization of material and . information flows. Part of CIM concept is the application of Flexible Manufacturing System (FMS) technology. An FMS is a system in which all the aspects of CIM automation and integration are found in one system. A machine tool is a part of an FMS just as an FMS is a part of the total CIM environment. 20.2.1 Computer Integrated Manufacturing

Until recently, integration of information and data transfer was always manual, usually using paper as the transfer medium. With the advent of computers and electronic data communications it has been possible to integrate manufacturing activities without the need to push paper. In addition, each functional area of management is considered as an island performing its normal role. Within a functional area, like production management, the various sub-areas are working in isolation. If the functional areas and the various subsystems in each functional area are interconnected by powerful computers for the purpose of data transfer and information flow, the productivity of the organization would be increased to a larger extent. The integration of these areas by proper computer hardware and software for effective fu.nctioning of the organization is the goal of CIM.

""'

Modem

Production Management

Tools

433

There are two aspects of CIM. They are organizational part and operational part. The various elements in each of these are listed below. 1. Organizational part includes the following:

. . .

'.

Corporate services Finance Business planning

. Marketing

2. Operational part (Advanced Manufacturing Technology-AMT) (i) Computer Aided Engineering (CAE)

consists of the following:

(ii) Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) Flexible Manufacturing System (FMS) Flexible Manufacturing Cell (FMC) Flexible Manufacturing Assembly (FMA) \ Direct Numerical Control (DNC) Data Acquisition System (DAS)

. . . . . . . . . . .

Computer Aided Process Planning (CAPP)

Computer Aided Planning (CAP) Computer Aided Quality Control (CAQc) Computer Aided Design (CAD) Computer Aided Design and Drafting (CADD) Materials Resource Planning (MRP)

. . .

Production Data Acquisition Machine Data Acquisition

Area Controller (AC) Cell Controller (CC) Flexible Assembly System (FAS)

The different types of computer which are used in CIM are as follows: (a) Mainframes (b) Mini Computers (c) Micro Computers (d) Personal Computers (PCs) (e) Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) (f) Robotic Controllers (RCs)
.

(g) Work Stations A sample CIM implementation is shown in Fig. 20.2.

'Y'

434

Production and Operations Management

ICIM level I
5
4 Area controller 1

Factory-plant control
Backbone bus

3b 3 3a

FMS 1 Transport system

.

FMS 2 Transport system Fig. 20.2 Illustration of CIM implementation.

ONC cell 1

The objectives of CIM are to have the right mix of pieceparts with the right quantity at the correct time with the correct quality.

20.2.2

Flexible Manufacturing Systems (FMS)

FMS is the latest level of automation to achieve ever more productivity and flexibility from manufacturing facilities. An FMS is a collection of production equipment logically organized under a host computer and physically connected by a central transport system. The objective of the FMS is to simultaneously manufacture a mix of piecepart types. Also, the system should be flexible enough to sequentially manufacture different piecepart type mixes without costly, time consuming and changeover requirements between mixes. FMS consists of tw.o types of equipment namely, primary and secondary. The primary equipment adds value to the components being manufactured. Secondary equipment supports the primary equipment in achieving this goal. The equipments in an FMS are as follows: 1. Primary Equipment: (i)

.
. .

Work Centres: Universal machining centres (Prismatic FMS) Grinding machines Nibbling machines . Turning centres (Rotational FMS)

(ii) Process Centres: . Wash machines . Coordinate measuring machines . Robotic workstation . Manual workstation

2. Secondary Equipment (i) Support Stations PalletlFixture loadlUnload stations

Tool commissioning/setting area etc.

(ii) Support Equipment Robots

. . PalletlFixture/Stillage stores .

Transport units (pallets/stillages) etc. A conceptual model of the modules in an FMS is shown in Fig. 20.3.
FMShost computer DNC Part program
.

. .

Tool stores

Raw materials stores.

(Input/Output)

Localarea networkbus

~
a a ~
9

~
\
, M MaChine a ll tool 9 a z i n e

EJ
Measuring machine

PLC

.
1

Machine tool

Measuring machine

lUlU
Transportsystem Load/Unload

Piecepart

IP;tl

Piecepart

preparation

Tooltransportsystem Tool Commissioning Isett!ng preparation I station Tool

Fig. 20.3

Conceptual arrangement of modules in an FMS.

Types of FMS. There are different types of FMS. Important five types of FMS are given below.

. . Random FMS . . .

Sequential FMS Dedicated FMS Engineered FMS Modular FMS

In a sequential FMS, the planning and preparation for each piecepart are done one after another. A random FMS manufactures any random mix of piecepart types at any given time. Dedicated FMS manufactures continuously the same, but a limited mix of piecepart type for extended periods. Engineered FMS wiIl manufacture the same mix of part types throughout its lifetime. Modular FMS is a sophisticated FMS which enables the users to expand the capabilities of any of the four earlier FMS types in stepwise fashion. Applications of FMS. The FMS philosophy is applied to Metal-cutting, Metal forming, Assembly, Metal joining (welding etc.), Surface treatment, and Testing and Inspection.