EXCEL ENGINEERING COLLEGE

(Autonomous)
Department of Computer Science Engineering
V Semester
20ECO06 – ROBOTICS AND IT’S INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS
Regulation 2020
QUESTION BANK
UNIT – 4 AUTOMATED PRODUCTION LINES AND ASSEMBLY SYSTEMS
PART-A
Q.No Questions Marks CO BL
Define Automated Production Lines.
1 Automated Production Line is a fixed-routing manufacturing system that consists of multiple 2 CO4 R
workstations linked together by a material handling system to transfer parts from one station to
the next.
Give any four benefits of Automated Production Lines.
 Low direct labor content
2  Low product cost 2 CO4 R
 High production rates
 Production lead time and work-in-process are minimized
List the system configuration.
 In-line configuration CO4
3 2 R
 Segmented In-line configuration
 Rotary Indexing machine
State rotary configurations.
 In the rotary configuration, the work parts are attached to fixtures around the
periphery of a circular worktable, and the table is indexed (rotated in fixed
4 2 CO4 R
angular amounts) to present the parts to workstations for processing.
 The worktable is often referred to as a dial, and the equipment is called a dial-
indexing machine.
Where are Automated Production Lines used?
 Automated production lines are utilized in many industries, most notably automotive,
5 where they are used for processes such as machining and press-working. 2 CO4 R
 Machining is a manufacturing process in which metal is removed by a cutting or shaping
tool, so that the remaining work part is the desired shape.
Why do we prefer using automation in production lines?
 Automation to the production line increases overall productivity. This allows the
company to break through the ceiling that they have when the production line is staffed
6 2 CO4 R
by people.
 Allowing the company to grow its production will eventually lead to more jobs in other
areas as the company grows.
Give any 6 application of Automated production lines.
 Transfer lines used for machining
 Robotic spot welding lines in automotive final assembly
7  Sheet metal stamping 2 CO4 R
 Electroplating of metals
 High product demand Requires large production quantities
 Stable product design
Define workpart transfer mechanisms.
8  The transfer mechanism of the automated flow line must not only move the partially 2 CO4 R
completed work parts or assemblies between adjacent stations, it must also orient and
 locate the parts in the correct position for processing at each station.
 The general methods of transporting work pieces on flow lines can be classified into the
following three categories :
1. Continuous transfer
2. Intermittent or synchronous transfer
3. Asynchronous or power-and-free transfer
State power transmission mechanisms.
 The transmission method is an engineering method that matches the power machine
and the working part of the machine in terms of energy configuration, movement speed
9 and motion form. 2 CO4 R
 There are four types of power transmission methods, including mechanical power
transmission, electrical power transmission, hydraulic power transmission and pneumatic
power transmission.
List four types of mechanical power transmission.
 Gear drive
10  Turbo vortex drive 2 CO4 R
 Chain drive
 Belt drive
Define gear.
Gear can be defined as a toothed wheel that can be engaged in another toothed wheel in order to CO4
11 2 R
transmit energy that gives the change of speed and direction of motion. It is widely used in
mechanical devices. The teeth of the gear are generally carved on wheels, cylinders, or cones.
List the uses of gears.
 To reverse the direction of rotation
12  To increase or decrease the speed of rotation 2 CO4 R
 To move rotational motion to a different axis
 To keep the rotation of two axis synchronized
State spur gear.
 The spur gear is the most common and simplest type of gear. It is generally used for the
transmission of rotary motion between parallel shafts.
13  The spur gear is the best option for gears except when speed, loads, and ratios direct 2 CO4 R
towards other options.
 They have straight teeth and are mounted on parallel shafts.
 Their general form is a cylinder or disk. The teeth project radially, and with these
“straight-cut gears”.
Where do we use double helical gear?
14 The most common use for helical gears is in automotive transmissions. Helical gears are ideal for 2 CO4 R
high-speed applications because they suffer from less friction and wear than other gears, but
they're still capable of transferring significant amounts of force.
Compare Single helical gear and double helical gear.
Single helical gear Double helical gear
 A single helical gear has teeth  Double helical gear consists of two
inclined in any one direction identical gears jointed on same axis, and
15 having teeth in opposite directions 2 CO4 R
 Power transmission capacity of  For same size and module, double
single helical gear is comparatively low. helical gears can transmit larger power.
 Efficiency of single helical gear is  Double helical gears can provide
comparatively low. higher efficiency.
Give the two types of ropes.
16  Fibre rope 2 CO4 R
 Wire rope
 State storage buffer.
 A storage buffer is a space allocated to housing goods temporarily.
 It's an area used to stockpile the materials needed for a subsequent process (for CO4
17 2 R
example, production, dispatch, picking, or kitting).
 Its location and organization can vary depending on the available space and
requirements of each warehouse.
Define power screws.
 Power screws, which are also known as lead screws, are used to convert rotary motion
18 into linear movement. 2 CO4 R
 With suitably sized threads, they are capable of large mechanical advantage and can lift
or move large loads.
Give the advantages of power screw.
Power screws have
 large load carrying capacity
 compact
19 2 CO4 R
 provide large mechanical advantage
 provide very accurate and precise linear motion
 have smooth and noiseless operation
 reliable and have lesser cost
State power screw design.
 In most of the power screws, the nut has axial. motion against the resisting axial force
while the. screw rotates in its bearings. CO4
20 2 R
 In some screws, the screw rotates and moves, axially against the resisting force while
the nut is stationary and in others the nut rotates while the screw moves axially with no
rotation

PART- B
Q.No Questions Marks CO BL
Explain the fundamentals of Automated Production Lines.
Fixed-routing manufacturing system that consists of multiple workstations linked together by a material
handling system to transfer parts from one station to the next Slowest workstation sets the pace of
the line
 Workpart transfer
 Palletized transfer line
 Uses pallet fixtures to hold and move workparts
 between stations Free transfer line
 Part geometry allows transfer without pallet fixtures

1 16 CO4 U

General configuration of an automated production line consisting of n automated workstations that

perform processing operations
Benefits of Automated Production Lines
 Low direct labor content
  Low product cost
 High production rates
 Production lead time and work-in-process are minimized
 Factory floor space is minimized
Applications:
 Transfer lines used for machining
 Robotic spot welding lines in automotive final assembly
 Sheet metal stamping
 Electroplating of metals
 High product demand Requires large production quantities
 Stable product design
 Difficult to change the sequence and content of processing operations once the line is built
 Long product life, atleast for several years
 Multiple operations required on product
 The different operations are assigned to different workstations in the line.
Interpret the system configuration of Automated Production Lines.
There are three types of system configuration of Automated Production Lines.
 Straight line arrangement of workstations
 Segmented in-line – two or more straight line segments, usually perpendicular to each other
 Rotary indexing machine (e.g., dial indexing machine)
The segmented in-line configuration consists of two or more straight-line transfer sections,
where the segments are usually perpendicular to each other. Figure 16.2 shows several
possible layouts of the segmented in-line category. There are a number of reasons for
designing a production line in these configurations rather than in a pure straight line:
 available floor space may limit the length of the line,
 a workpiece in a segmented in-line configuration can be reoriented to present
different surfaces for machining, and
 the rectangular layout provides for swift return of work-holding fixtures to the front of
the line for reuse.
It is a palletized transfer line. The second line, on the right side, is a conventional in-line
configuration. When processing on the first line is completed, the parts are manually
transferred to the second line, where they are reoriented to present different surfaces for
2 machining. In this line the parts are moved individually by the transfer mechanism, using no 16 CO4 U
pallet fixtures. It is a free transfer line.
 In the rotary configuration, the work parts are attached to fixtures around the periphery of a
circular worktable, and the table is indexed (rotated in fixed angular amounts) to present the
parts to workstations for processing. The worktable is often referred to as a dial, and the
equipment is called a dial-indexing machine.

Discuss workpart transfer mechanism in detail.

The transfer mechanism of the automated flow line must not only move the partially completed work
parts or assemblies between adjacent stations, it must also orient and locate the parts in the correct
position for processing at each station. The general methods of transporting work pieces on flow lines
can be classified into the following three categories :
4. Continuous transfer
5. Intermittent or synchronous transfer
6. Asynchronous or power-and-free transfer

These three categories are distinguished by the type of motion that is imparted to the work piece by the
transfer mechanism. The most appropriate type of transport system for a given application depends on
such factors as :
 The types of operation to be performed
 The number of stations on the line
3  The weight and size of the work parts 16 CO4 U
 Whether manual stations are included on the line
 Production rate requirements
 Balancing the various process times on the line

Continuous transfer
 With the continuous method of transfer, the work parts are moved continuously at constant
speed. This requires the work heads to move during processing in order to maintain
continuous registration with the work part.
 For some types of operations, this movement of the work heads during processing is not
feasible.
 It would be difficult, for example, to use this type of system on a machining transfer line
because of inertia problems due to the size and weight of the work heads. In other cases,
continuous transfer would be very practical.
 Intermittent transfer
 As the name suggests, in this method the workpieces are transported with an intermittent or
discontinuous motion.
 The workstations are fixed in position and the parts are moved between stations and then
registered at the proper locations for processing.
 All work parts are transported at the same time and, for this reason, the term “synchronous
transfer system” is also used to describe this method of work part transport.
Asynchronous transfer
 This system of transfer, also referred to as a “power-and-free system,” allows each work
part to move to the next station when processing at the current station has been completed.
 Each part moves independently of other parts. Hence, some parts are being processed on
the line at the same time that others are being transported between stations.
 Asynchronous transfer systems offer the opportunity for greater flexibility than do the other
two systems, and this flexibility can be a great advantage in certain circumstances.
 In-process storage of work parts can be incorporated into the asynchronous systems with
relative.
 Power-and-free systems can also compensate for line balancing problems where there are
significant differences in process times between stations.

Expand the power transmission mechanisms.

4  The transmission method is an engineering method that matches the power machine and the
working part of the machine in terms of energy configuration, movement speed and motion 16 CO4 U
form.
 There are four types of power transmission methods, including mechanical power
 transmission, electrical power transmission, hydraulic power transmission and pneumatic
power transmission.
Mechanical power transmission
Mechanical power transmission refers to products used for moving parts systems, not systems used for
electric power supply.
These products include couplings, chains and sprockets, belts and pulleys, and drive components.
Mechanical transmission system:
 It is an important part of the machine tool.
 It is mainly driven by the ball screw.
 The ball screw and the moving shaft are integrated in the transmission process.
 The machine tool is driven by the motor.
 The function of mechanical transmission is to transmit motion and force.
 The commonly used mechanical transmission types include gear transmission, worm gear
transmission, belt transmission, chain transmission and gear train.
Types of mechanical power transmission
The most common mechanical power transmission mainly includes: gear drive, turbo vortex drive, belt
drive, chain drive, gear train etc
Gear Drive
 Gear transmission is the most widely used form of transmission in mechanical transmission.
 Its transmission is more accurate, high efficiency, compact structure, reliable operation and
long service life.
 Gear drives can be divided into many different types according to different standards

Turbo Vortex Drive

 Suitable for motion and power between two axes with vertical and non-intersecting spaces.

Belt Drive
 A belt drive is a mechanical transmission that utilizes a flexible belt that is tensioned on a
pulley for motion or power transmission.
 The belt drive usually consists of a drive wheel, a driven wheel and an endless belt that is
tensioned on the two wheels.
 Chain Drive
 The chain drive is a transmission method in which the movement and power of a drive
sprocket having a special tooth shape are transmitted to a driven sprocket having a special
tooth shape through a chain.

Explain different types of gears in detail.

Gear can be defined as a toothed wheel that can be engaged in another toothed wheel in order to
transmit energy that gives the change of speed and direction of motion. It is widely used in mechanical
devices. The teeth of the gear are generally carved on wheels, cylinders, or cones.
Many devices that we use in our day-to-day life have their own working principle. The tooth and wheel
of gear are working parts of all types of gears. The different types of gears are used to complete the
transfer of energy in different ways and in different directions.
Types of Gears
Following are the important types of gears:
1. Spur gear
2. Helical gear
3. Double helical gear
4. Internal gear
Spur Gear
 The spur gear is the most common and simplest type of gear. It is generally used for the
transmission of rotary motion between parallel shafts.
 The spur gear is the best option for gears except when speed, loads, and ratios direct towards
5 other options. 16 CO4 U
 They have straight teeth and are mounted on parallel shafts.
 Their general form is a cylinder or disk.
 The teeth project radially, and with these “straight-cut gears”. When two spur gears of
different sizes mesh together, the larger gear is called a wheel, and the smaller gear is called
a pinion.
 In a simple gear train of two spur gears, the input motion and force are applied to the driver
gear.
 The driver gear rotates the driven gear without slipping.

Helical Gear
 Helical gears offer a refinement over spur gears.
 The teeth of a helical gear are not parallel to the axis of rotation but are set at a helix angle.
  Helical gears can be meshed in a parallel or crossed orientation.
 Along with parallel helical gear, each pair of teeth first contacts one point on the one side of
the gear wheel.
 A moving curve of contact increases gradually against the teeth face to a maximum then
comes back until the teeth reach contact at one point on the opposite side.

Double Helical Gear

 A double helical gear is a type of helical gear that has right and left-hand teeth on a single
gear.
 It consists of two faces of helical gears placed next to each other and separating them from
each other.
 This type of gear is very similar to herringbone gear in appearance.
 Double-helical gears will eliminate thrust load and allow for more significant tooth overlap and
smooth operation.
 In addition, it provides an additional shear area on the gears which is necessary for further
high torque transmission.
 Like helical gears, these gears are commonly used in enclosed gear drives.

Internal Gear
 In this type of gear, the inner gear has teeth cut on the inside of the cylinder and paired with
the outer gear.
 Internal gears are mainly used for planetary gear drives and gear-type shaft couplings.
 There is a disadvantage with this gear, which is the uneven number of internal and external
gears due to trimming problems and interference such as the trochoid and involute.
 The internal and external gears in the mesh have the exact rotational directions while they are
opposite when the two external gears are in the mesh.

Discuss about rope in power transmission.

6 The rope drive is widely used where a large amount of power is to be transmitted, from one pulley to 16 CO4 U
another, over a considerable distance. Rope drives use a number of circular section ropes, rather than
a single flat or vee belt.
It may be noted that the use of flat belts is limited for the transmission of moderate power from one
pulley to another when the two pulleys is not more than 8 metres apart.
One of the main advantages of rope drive is that a number of drives may take from the one driving
pulley. Rope drives were most widely used as power transmission in mills and factories.
Sheave for Ropes

 The diameter of the sheaves should be large to reduce the wear on the rope due
to internal friction and bending stresses.
 The proper size of sheave wheels is 40 d and the minimum size is 36 d.
Types of Ropes
The rope drive uses the following two types of ropes:
1. Fibre Ropes
2. Wire ropes.

Fibre Ropes
 The ropes for transmitting power are usually made from fibrous, materials such as hemp,
manila and cotton. Since the hemp and manila fibres are rough,
 Therefore the ropes made from these fibres are not very flexible and possesses poor
mechanical properties.
 The fibre ropes are usually circular in cross-section.
 The groove angle of the pulley for rope drives is usually 45°.
 The grooves in the pulley are made narrow at the bottom and the rope is pinched between the
edges of the v-groove to increase the holding power of the rope on the pulley.
Wire Ropes
 When a large amount of power is to be transmitted over long distances from one pulley to
another (i.e., when the pulleys are up to 150 metres apart), then wire ropes are used.
 The wire ropes are widely used in elevators, mine hoists, cranes, conveyors, hauling devices
and suspension bridges.
 The wire ropes run on grooved pulleys but they rest on the bottom of the grooves and are not
wedged between the sides of the grooves.
The wire ropes have the following advantage over cotton ropes.
1. Wire ropes are lighter in weight,
2. these offer silent operation,
 3. These can withstand shock loads.
4. Wire ropes are more reliable,
5. They do not fail suddenly, These are more durable,
6. The efficiency is high
7. Less expensive or low in cost

UNIT–5 CELLULAR MANUFACTURING AND FLEXIBLE MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS

PART A

Q.No Questions Marks CO BL

Define cellular manufacturing.

Cellular manufacturing is a lean method of producing similar products using cells, or groups of team 2 CO5 R
1 members, workstations, or equipment to facilitate operations by eliminating setup and unneeded
costs between operations
List the objective of cellular manufacturing system.
 The objective of cellular manufacturing is to design cells in such a way that some measure
2 2 CO5 R
of performance is optimized.
 This measure of performance could be productivity, cycle time, or some other logistics
measure.
List the ways to design cells in cellular manufacturing systems.
 Analyse & document the process today (ASIS Situation)
3 2 CO5 R
 Define the product family that the cell will produce and calculate the TAKT Time for the cell.
 Balance the work to create flow between work-stations that meets demand constraints.
 Design the cell for ergonomics.
Mention the advantages of cellular manufacturing systems
 Unnecessary machines are identified and removed from the manufacturing process. 2 CO5 R
4  Reduction in setup time also reduces idle time for machines thus machine utilization is
improved in cellular manufacturing.
What is part classification?
 Parts classification systems fall into one of three categories; systems based on part design
5 2 CO5 R
attributes.
 Systems based on part manufacturing attributes. systems based on both design and
manufacturing attributes
Define FMS.
Flexible Manufacturing System (FMS) consists of several machine tools along with part and tool 2 CO5 R
6 handling devices such as robots, arranged so that it can handle any family of parts for which it has
been designed and developed.
List the types of group technology.
 Engineering 2 CO5 R
7  Manufacturing
 Process Planning
Define a production flow. 2 CO5 R
8  Flow production is also known as continuous production. It enables a product to be created
in a series of stages on an assembly line.
 It is defined by the continuous movement of items through the production process.
Define group technology
 Group technology is an approach in which similar parts are identified and grouped together 2 CO5 R
9 in order to take advantage of the similarities in design and production.
 Similarities among parts permit them to be classified into part families.
Define part family.
 A part family is a group of parts presenting similar geometry and/or requiring a similar
10 production process.
2 CO5 R
 Traditional schemes such as classification and coding and production flow analysis do not
consider uncertainty or impreciseness in PF formation.
List the Components/Elements of FMS.
 Workstations
11 2 CO5 R
 Material handling and storage system
 Computer control system.
 Human resources..
Give the benefits of FMS.
The benefits that can be expected from an FMS include
12
 Fewer machines required 2 CO5 R
 Reduction in factory floor space required
 Greater responsiveness to change
 Reduced inventory requirements
Define numerical control.
 Numerical control (also computer numerical control, and commonly called CNC) is the
13 2 CO5 R
automated control of machining tools
 A form of computer control applied to machine tools, by which an operation is directed from
numerical data stored on tape or punched on cards.
List the application of numerical control.
14 2 CO5 R
Numerical control technology has application in a wide variety of production operation such as metal
cutting, automatic drafting, spot welding, press working, assembly, inspection, etc.
Mention the Characteristics & Advantages of CNC Machining.
 Strong adaptability and high flexibility
15 2 CO5 R
 High precision and top quality.
 Improved productivity and efficiency.
 Suitable for complex parts machining
List any two advantages of FMS implementation.
 Faster, lower-cost changes from one part to another which will improve capital utilization. 2 CO5 R
16  Lower direct labor cost, due to the reduction in number of workers.
List any two disadvantages of FMS implementation.
17 2 CO5 R
 Substantial pre-planning activity
 Expensive, costing millions of dollars.
How does FMS classified based on level of flexibility?
FMS classified based on level of flexibility as:-

 Production flexibility 2 CO5 R

18  Machine flexibility
 Mix flexibility
 Mix flexibility
State the flow of production 2 CO5 R
  Flow production is also known as continuous production. It enables a product to be created
in a series of stages on an assembly line.
19  It is defined by the continuous movement of items through the production process. Large
numbers of the same goods are produced continuously in this production process.
How does FMS classified based on number of machines?
 Single Machine Cell (SMC)
 Flexible Manufacturing Cell (FMC) 2 CO5 R
20  Flexible Manufacturing System (FMS)

PART-B

PART B

Q.No Questions Marks CO BL

Explain in detail about Manufacturing cells
 Manufacturing cells are groups of machinery or people that are grouped in a way that
makes the manufacturing process more efficient.
 They are stations where the layout of machinery is based on flow rather than machine
type. These cells are used in organizations who engage in cellular manufacturing in an effort to
reduce waste and be leaner.
 Traditionally, a manufacturing process happens in a set up where machines of the same
type are in the same location on a manufacturing floor.
 However, in a cellular manufacturing environment, the process determines the layout.
 This system is often put in place to improve the flow of resources and to help the
company operate in a leaner fashion.
 It may sound like all companies should implement a system that uses manufacturing
cells rather than more traditional manufacturing systems. However, there are some downsides
to changing a manufacturing process into a cellular one.
 It is often the case that cells require the same machinery, meaning that the company will
need to supply a machine for each cell rather than just one machine in a traditional system.
 This means that a process using manufacturing cells is usually relatively expensive.
1 16 CO5 U
An example.
Carl is the general manager at a manufacturing plant that uses a traditional manufacturing
process. He would like to propose a plan to the company’s headquarters to implement a cellular
manufacturing plan at his plant. What factors should Carl consider when writing his proposal?

First, Carl needs to consider the cost compared to his company’s resources. If Carl’s company
is in a good position to invest heavily in equipment, then his proposal will make more sense.
Next, Carl should consider the nature of the product that he manufactures and how the product
would be affected by a change in the manufacturing process

Explain Cellular Manufacturing.

  Cellular manufacturing is a manufacturing process that arranges workstations and
equipment in a sequence to enable products to move through the manufacturing
process with maximum velocity while minimizing waste and logistical effort.
 A subset of just-in-time and lean manufacturing, cellular manufacturing aims to arrange
equipment, machines, parts bins, tools, and workstations to accommodate an optimized
flow of continuous production from one cell to the next.
16 CO5 U
 Rather than processing a batch of components in a workstation simultaneously, cells
are usually designed to pass parts through one at a time.
2  This enables quickly producing a wider variety of similar products as individual cells can
be adjusted independently without having to rearrange the whole assembly line every
time a variation is ordered.
 Each cell is a clearly defined, self-sufficient production unit. Depending on the cell
sequence, cells can have specialized workers assigned per cell or be cross-trained to
oversee the work of adjacent cells or the whole cell sequence. W
 While a cell may produce finished parts from start to finish, in most cases, cells are
arranged in a flow wherein the output of a previous cell is input for the next one.
 Several considerations go into a sound cell design:
 Product:- The products to be made within the cell must fit a cellular design. Designers
need to determine if it is a complete product or a subassembly. If it is the latter, then
routings must be included for its upstream and downstream impact.
 Process:- It is common for systems engineers to use process mapping to gain a
complete understanding of each process step. This helps calculate the number of
machines and people and the type of tooling and even parts required for assembly. It
also includes optimal lot size and especially the sequence of steps in the process.
 Logistics :- Support structures are also important in cell design. This includes how the
cell is scheduled, what containers are used, and how they fit the ergonomics. It also
includes how raw materials are brought into the cell and staged for use and how they
are removed, and what happens next.
 Layout :- With these considerations in mind, an optimum cellular design can be
determined. The physical structure must integrate with the other cells within the factory
and will often be intuitive about what configuration should be used after the above
considerations are complete.
 Discuss about production flow analysis.
 This is an approach to part family identification and machine cell formation that was
pioneered by J. Burbidge .
 Production flow analysis (PFA) is a method for identifying part families and associated
machine groupings that uses the information contained 011 production route sheets
rather than on part drawings.
 Work parts with identical or similar routings are classified into part families. These
families can then be used to form logical machine cells in a group technology layout.
 Since PFA uses manufacturing data rather than design data to identify part families, it
can overcome two possible anomalies that can occur in parts classification and coding.
 First, parts whose basic geometries are quite different may nevertheless require similar
or even identical process routings.
 Second, parts whose geornetries are quite similar may nevertheless require process
routings that are quite different.
 The procedure in production flow analysis must begin by defining the scope of the study,
which means deciding on the population of parts to be analyzed.
 Should all of the parts in the shop be Included in the study, or should a representative
sample be selected for analysis! Once this decision is made, then the procedure in PFA
consists of the following steps:
 Data collection. The minimum data needed in the analysis are the part number and
operation sequence, which is contained in shop documents called route sheets or
operation sheets or some similar name.
 Each operation is usually associated with a particular machine, so determining the
operation sequence also determines the machine sequence. Additional data. such as lot
size, time standards, and annual demand might be useful for designing machine cells of
the required production capacity.
3  Soriation of process routings. In this step, the parts are arranged into groups according 16 CO5 U
to the similarity of their process routings. To facilitate this step, all operations or
machines included in the shop are reduced to code numbers, such as those shown in
Table .
 For each part, the operation codes are listed in the order in which they are performed.
 A sortation procedure is then used to arrange parts into "packs," which are groups of
parts with identical routings.
 Some packs may contain only one part number, indicating the uniqueness of the
processing of that part. Other packs will contain many parts, and these will constitute a
part family.
 PFA chart. The processes used for each pack are then displayed in a PFA chart,
 The chart is a tabulation of the process or machine code numbers for all of the part
packs.
 The PFA chart has been referred to as part-machine incidence matrix. In this matrix, the
entries have a value xii=1 or 0: a value of xij = 1 indicates that the corresponding part i
requires processing on machine j, and X'I = 0 indicates that no processing of component
i is accomplished on machine j.
 For clarity of presenting the matrix, the D's are often indicated as blank (empty) entries,
as in our table
 Cluster analysis. From the pattern of data in the PFA chart. related groupings are
identified and rearranged into a new pattern that brings together packs with similar
machine sequences. where different machine groupings are indicated within blocks. The
blocks might be considered as possible machine cells. It is often the case that some
packs do not fit into logical groupings.
 These parts might be analyzed to see if a revised process sequence can be developed
that fits into one of the groups. If not, these parts must continue to be fabricated through
a conventional process layout.
 Enumerate FMS Application & Benefits.
 A flexible manufacturing system is a manufacturing concept that allows production to adapt
when facing changes in its requirements. The required changes could involve the amount
of product being produced or a new product part that is needed. The changes could be
either predictable or unpredictable.
 The system will typically involve automated computers capable of reacting to changes in
production. The systems’ flexibility allows companies to enhance their efficiency and lower
the costs typically associated with manufacturing. In short, an FMS system improves a
manufacturer’s overall agility in production.
 A flexible manufacturing system could be machine flexible, material handling flexible, or
operationally flexible.
 This has led businesses to look for new solutions to ramp up
 production while remaining flexible enough to change the output when needed.
 One such solution is the flexible manufacturing system capable of automating production
without sacrificing the ability to change output when required.
4 Flexible manufacturing systems can work in several different ways depending on the production
needs of an individual business. However, these systems will typically consist of three main
functions that allow the system to remain operational. These include:

 Central Control Computer

 Production Machines
 Material Handling Systems

Benefits
16 CO5 U
 Lower operating costs.
 Improved worker safety.
 Reduced factory lead times.
 Faster ROI.
 Ability to be more competitive.
 Increased production output.

Describe the FMS and its components

The basic components of an FMS are:
 Workstations.
 Material handling and storage systems.
5  Computer control system.
 The personnel that manage and operate the system. 16 CO5 U

Workstations :- The processing or assembly equipment used in an FMS depends on the

type of work accomplished by the system. In a system designed for machining operations,
the principle types of processing station are CNC machine tools. However, the FMS
 concept is also applicable to various other processes as well. Following are the types of
workstations typically found in an FMS.

Load/Unload Stations.
The load/unload station is the physical interface between the FMS and the rest of the
factory.
Raw work-parts enter the system at this point, and finished parts exit the system from here.
Loading and unloading can be accomplished either manually or by automated
handlingsystems. Manual loading and unloading is prevalent in most FMSs . The
load/unloadstation should be ergonomically designed to permit convenient and safe
movement of work parts

Machining Stations :- The most common applications of FMSs arc machining operations,
The workstations used inthese systems are therefore predominantly CNC machine tools.
Most common is the CNC
machining center in particular. the horizontal rnachining center. CNC
machining centers possess features that make them compatible with the FMS,
includingautomatic tool changing and tool storage, use of palletized work-parts, CNC, and
capacity fordistributed numerical control (DNC) Machining centers can be ordered
withautomatic pallet changers that can be readily interfaced with the FMS part handling
system.

Other Processing Stations :- The FMS concept has been applied to other processing
operations in addition to machining.
One such application is sheet metal fabrication processes. The processing workstations
consistof press-working operations, such as punching, shearing, and certain bending and
forming
processes.

Assembly :-Some FMSs are designed to perform assembly operations. Flexible automated
assembly
systems are being developed to replace manual labor in the assembly of products typically
made in batches. Industrial robots are often used as the automated workstations in these
flexible assembly systems.

Material Handling and Storage System :-

The second major component of an FMS is its material handling and storage system.
Functions of the Handling System:- The material handling and storage system in an
FMSperforms the fol1owing functions:
Random, independent movement of work-parts between stations

Temporary storage:- The number of parts in the FMS will typically exceed the number of
partsactually being processed at any moment. Thus, each station has a small queue of
parts waiting
to be processed. which helps to increase machine utilization

6 Explain about group technology.

  Group technology is an approach to organising manufacture which can be applied in 16 CO5 U
any industry (machining, welding, foundry, press work, forging, plastic moulding, etc.)
where small-batch variety production is used.
 The basic approach enables all aspects of manufacturing, from design, through
estimating and planning, to production, to be rationalised. It forms the basis for the
development of computer-aided procedures and flexible automation.Group technology
is a principle whose basic concept is to identify and bring together related or similar
parts and processes, to take advantage of the similarities which exist, during all stages
of design and manufacture.

 If parts can be classified into families, and machines arranged into groups, then the
handling of parts during manufacture can be easily done by robot.

 There exists relationship between finished products and the parts from which they are
made. While assemblies may bear little relation to each other, the subassemblies from
which they are constructed will exhibit some like features.
 By exploiting the similarities which exist among such a population of parts, group
technology sets out to reduce the time and cost of manufacture.
 The main theme is thus to identify somehow from the large variety of parts those
families which require similar manufacturing operations. Cells are created to
manufacture defined types and size ranges of parts.

The advantages of group technology are:

 Better lead times result in fast response and more reliable delivery.

 Material handling is reduced considerably.

 Robots can be easily used for material handling.

 Better space utilisation.

 Smaller variety of tools, jigs and fixtures.

The disadvantages of group technology are:

 Additional cost of implementation of this system.

 Rate of change in product range and mix.

 Difficulties with out-of-cell operations.

 (iv) Coexistence with non-cellular systems

R - Remembering, U - Understanding, AP - Applying, A- Analyzing, E - Evaluating, and C- Creating.

Staff Incharge Course Coordinator IQAC Director-Academics