Automation

1
Automation

• Definition The process of having machine follow
  a predetermined sequence of operation with little
  or no human labor, using special equipment and
  devices that perform and control manufacturing
  processes.

2
(No Transcript)
3
Implementation areas

• Manufacturing processes automation (CNC)
• Material handling (Robots, conveyors..)
• Inspection
• Assembly
• Packaging

4
Goals of automation

• Integration of various aspects of manufacturing
  operations to reduce labor cost
• To improve productivity or efficiency
• To improve quality
• To reduce human involvement therefore human error
• To reduce work piece damage that manual handling
  caused.
• To raise the safety level
• To economize of floor space

5
Application of Automation

• Automation can be applied to manufacturing of all
  types. The decision to automate a facility
  requires some considerations
• The type of the product
• The quantity and rate
• Particular phase of automation
• Skill level of workers available
• Reliability and maintenance
• Economics

6
Flexibility and Productivity of Manufacturing
Systems
7
Production quantity

• Crucial to determining the type of machinery and
  level of automation required the knowledge of
  quantity.
• Total production quantity means total number of
  parts to be made.
• This quantity can be produced in individual
  batches of various lot sizes.
• Small quantities per year can be produces in job
  shops, by using general purpose of machining
  tools in lot sizes 50 or less.

8
Production quantity(continue)

• When parts involve a large labor component,
  their production is called labor intensive.
• Small batch production quantities range from
  10-100.
• Batch production 100-5000.
• Mass production over 100 000, needs special
  purpose machining called dedicated machines and
  and automated components.

9
Approximate Annual Production Quantity
10
Product variation

• Single model line no variation, produce one
  model.
• Batch model lineone or more different production
  in batches. From one model produces some number
  then the system reconfigured to produce from the
  other model.
• Mixed model linemore than one model production
  simultaneously on the same line.

11
Characteristics of Three Types of Production
Methods
12
Advantages of mixed over batch model

• Downtime between models is minimized
• High inventories of some models are avoided
• Production rates and quantities of two models can
  be controlled accordance to changes in demand
• Disadvantages of mixed over batch model
• Work assigning to the stations is complex
• Sequence of the model(scheduling) and getting
  right part to station (logistic) is difficult.

13
Transfer Mechanisms and Transfer Lines

• Transfer mechanism are used to move workpiece
  from one station to another machine or from one
  machine to another to enable various operations
  to be performed on the part.
• Methods
• Rails along which parts are pushed or pulled by
  various mechanisms
• Rotary indexing tables
• Overhead conveyors

14
Types of Transfer Mechanisms
Two types of transfer mechanisms (a) straight
rails and (b) circular or rotary patterns.
15
Assembly Systems

• The individual parts and components produced by
  various manufacturing processes are assembled
  into finished products by various methods. Some
  of the operations can be performed with ease, but
  most of the assembly requires considerable
  planning.
• The assembly method depends on
• Required production rate,
• The total quantity to be produced
• The products life cycle
• Labor availability
• Cost

16
High Volume Products Assembly

• There are two methods for high volume assembly
• Random assembly The components are put together
  by selecting them randomly from the lots produced
• Selective assembly The components segrated by
  groups

17
Methods of Assembly

• Manual Assembly
• Workers can manually assemble
• Uses relatively simple tools
• Economical for small lots
• High-Speed Automated Assembly
• Utilizes transfer mechanisms designed for
  assembly
• Robotic Assembly
• One or two general purpose robots operate at a
  single work station
• The robots operate at a multistation assembly
  system

18
Automated Assembly Operations
Automated assembly operations using industrial
robots and circular and linear transfer lines
19
Two-Arm Robot Assembly Station
20
Systems of Assembly
Synchronous transfer system Work parts moved
between stations with a quick, discontinuous
motion. Called intermittent transfer. Stressful
to human workers, good in automated operations.
Nonsynchronous transfer system Work parts moved
between stations when its job completed.
Independent move. Called power and free system.
Queues form in front of the work stations. Good
for both manual and automated operations.
Continuous transfer system Continuous conveyor
moving by a constant velocity Vc, fixed parts on
conveyor moved from the conveyor to the work
station, or worker moves to the part
21
Transfer Systems for Automated Asembly
(a) rotary indexing machine and (b) in-line
indexing machine.
22

• Asynchronous transfer system

23

• Continuous transfer system