Unit 1

Production Operations and

Automation Strategies

Syllabus
Automation Definition, levels, need, strategies principles.
Types of Operation, functions in manufacturing, plant
layout types, organization and information processing in
manufacturing, types of flow lines, methods of transport,
transfer mechanisms, ASRS system.

Automation
Automation is the replacement of man power with
machine power which works by itself with little or
no direct human control. Typically programmable.
Automation can be defined as,
The technology by which a process or procedure is
accomplished without human assistance. It is
implemented using a program of instructions
combined with a control system that executes the
instructions.

Automation Areas in
Manufacturing System:

Machine Tool
Work holding devices
Loading and Unloading work pieces
Material Handling
Inspection of components
Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems
Assembly
Testing

Levels of Automation
Level
5

Enterprise level

Plant Level

Cell or system level

Machine Level

Device Level

Description/Examples
Corporate information
system
Production system

Manufacturing systemgroups of machines

Individual machines
Sensors, actuators, other
hardware elements

Levels of Automation
Device Level
This is the lowest level. The devices are combined
into the individual control loops of the machine, for
example, the feedback control loop for one axis of a
CNC machine or one joint of an industrial robot.

Machine level
Hardware at the device level is assembled into
individual machines. Examples, CNC machine tools,
industrial robots, powered conveyors. Control
functions at this level include performing the
sequence of steps in the program of instructions in the
correct order and making sure that each step is
properly executed.

Levels of Automation
Cell or system level
A manufacturing cell or system is a group of
machines or workstations connected and supported
by a material handling system, computer, and other
equipment appropriate to the manufacturing
process. Production lines are included in this level.
Functions include part dispatching and machine
loading, coordination among machines and
material handling system, collecting and
evaluating inspection data.

Levels of Automation
Plant Level
This is the factory or production systems level. It
receives instructions from the corporate information
system and translates them into operational plans for
production. Likely functions include order processing,
process planning, inventory control, purchasing,
material requirements planning, shop floor control,
and quality control.

Enterprise level
This is the highest level, consisting of the corporate
information system. It is concerned with all of the
functions necessary to manage the company:
marketing and sales, accounting, design, research,
aggregate planning, and master production scheduling.

Why to Automate?
There are number reasons which justifies
Automation in manufacturing industries,
To increase labor productivity
Automating a manufacturing operation results in greater
output per hour of labor input.

To reduce labor cost

Automation reduces manual operations thereby reducing
unit product cost due to reduce in labor cost.

To mitigate the effects of labor shortages

Automated operations helps to overcome labor shortages

Why to Automate?
To reduce or eliminate routine menial and clerical tasks
Automating operations that are routine, boring, fatiguing,
and possibly irksome, improves the general level of working
conditions

To improve worker safety

Automation transfers the role of a worker from active
participation to a monitoring role, makes work safer.

To improve product quality

Automation not only results in higher production rates than
manual operation, it also performs the operation with greater
uniformity and conformity to quality specfications.

Why to Automate?
To reduce manufacturing lead time
Automating operations helps to reduce the
elapsed time between customer order and
product delivery.

To accomplish processes that cannot be

done manually
To avoid high cost of not automating or to
avoid high labor costs.

Automation Strategies and Principles

The USA Principle
USA stands for
Understand the existing process
Simplify the process
Automate the process

Ten Strategies for Automation and Process

Improvement
Automation Migration Strategy

The USA Principle

Understand the existing process
What are the inputs & outputs?
What exactly happens to the work unit between input &
output?
What is the function of the process?
How does it add value to the product?
What are the upstream and downstream operations in the
production sequence, and can they be combined with the
process under considerations?

The USA Principle

Simplify the Process

What is the purpose of this step or this transport?

Is this step necessary?
Can this be eliminated?
Does this step use the most appropriate technology?
How can this step be simplified?
Are there unnecessary steps in the process that might be
eliminated without detracting from function?
Can steps be combined?
Can steps be performed simultaneously?
Can steps be integrated into a manually operated
production line?

The USA Principle

Automate the Process
Once the process has been reduced to its simplest
form, then automation can be considered. The
possible form of automation include those listed in
the ten strategies in the following section.

Ten Strategies for Automation and

Process Improvement
Specialization of operations
Involves the use of special-purpose equipment and
specialized labor

Combined operations
Involves reducing the number of distinct production machines
or workstations through which the part must be routed,
saving the setup time taken to setting up each machine.

Simultaneous operations
Logical extension of the combined operations strategy is to
simultaneously perform the operations that are combined at
one workstation, thereby reducing the total processing time.

Integration of operations
Increased flexibility

Ten Strategies for Automation and

Process Improvement

Specialization of operations
Combined operations
Simultaneous operations
Integration of operations
Increased flexibility
Improved material handling and storage
On-line inspection
Process control and optimization
Plant operations control
Computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM)

Ten Strategies for Automation and

Process Improvement

Specialization of operations
Combined operations
Simultaneous operations
Integration of operations
Increased flexibility
Improved material handling and storage
On-line inspection
Process control and optimization
Plant operations control
Computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM)

Types of Production

Classification of
Manufacturing Processes
Shaping
processes
Processing
Operations

Manufacturin
g processes

Property
enhancing
processes
Surface
processing
operations

Permanent
joining
processes
Assembly
operations
Mechanical
fasting

Solidification
processes
Particulate
processing
Deformation
processing
Material
removal
Heat
treatment
Cleaning and
surface
Coating and
treatments
deposition
processes
Welding
Brazing and
soldering
Adhesive
bonding
Threaded
fasteners
Permanent
fastening

Functions of an organization

Functions of Manufacturing

Information Flow in manufacturing

Information processing cycle in a typical manufacturing firm

Product
design

Business
functions

Producti
on
System
facilities

Manufac
turing
control

Manufac
turing
planning

The moving assembly line for cars is an example of the

flow shop.

in-line flow

U-shaped in-line flow

The traditional subassembly lines can be redesigned into

U-shaped cells as part of the conversion of mass
production to lean production.

Continuous flow
processes

Transfer lines
Continuous flow shop
Assembly line
Disconnected lines
Interrupted flow shop
Batch processing
Job shop
Job shop
Ad hoc flow

Oil & Gas

Beer
Bricks
More
efficient;
Not
flexible

Autos
Cycles
TVs
Trucks
Airplanes
Ships
Shuttles
Less efficient; Space
More flexible Station

Commodity
High
volume

Few
types
High
volume

Multiple
products
low
volume

Very
low
volume

The functions and

systems of the
production system,
which includes (and
services) the
manufacturing system.
The functional
departments are
connected by formal
and informal
information systems
designed to service the
manufacturing system
that produces the
goods.