FMS AND CIMS.

The flexible manufacturing system (FMS) is identified as one of the machine cell types used to implement group technology. It is the most automated and technologically sophisticated of the GT cells. A FMS processes typically multiple automated stations and is capable of variable routings among station. Its flexibility allows it to operate as a mixed model system (for part or product variety). An FMS integrates into one highly automated manufacturing system many of the concepts and technologies including: flexible automation CNC machine, distributed computer control, automated material handing &storage and group technology. The concept for FMSs originated in Britain in the early 1960s. The first FMS instillations were made in the United States around 1967. These initial systems performed machining operations on families of parts using NC machine tools. FMS technology can be applied in situation similar to those identified for group technology and cellular manufacturing; specifically. Presently plant either 1. Produces parts in batches 2. uses manned GT cells and management wants to automate It must be possible to group a portion of the parts made in the plant into part families. Parts made in the plant into part families. The parts or products made by the facility are in the mid-volume, mid verity production range. Flexibility is one of the benefits of small-batch manufacturing. While a small-batch shop may produce lower unit output than a shop dedicated to one or two lines, its strength is that it can make a variety of different products in small volumes. The complexity of coordinating manual small-batch production had, until the early 1980s, confined automation of the manufacturing system as a whole to industries producing in large batches, with a small, slowly-changing range of products. Small-batch production relied on stand-alone processing machines, which were coordinated by human operators and schedulers. The complex nature of producing a wide-range of products brought

what were seen as necessary evils accommodated in the name of flexible manufacturing. If a company was machining earthmover axle components or valve housings in small batches then high inventory, unpredictable, long lead times and quality problems were very common. Manufacturing engineers such as Theo Williamson in the 1960's were inspired by the idea of being able to bring the controllable advantages of the transfer line to the more complicated world of small-batch machining manufacture. This was an important problem: 75% of the value of items produced in US engineering firms was made in batches of 50 or less. By the 1970's, the advent of Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) machine tools had made the process of machining both automatic and flexible. CNC machine tools could be programmed, locally, with a method of making a component. One merely had to load a casting onto a fixture, supply an appropriate program and tooling, and the product would be predictably produced time after time. Williamson's contribution was to suggest that the coordination of the flow of jobs between machines could also be carried out automatically. He envisioned and built a rudimentary system (Molin's System 24) which comprised a group of CNC machine tools connected by an automatic material handling system. A centralized computer-control system oversaw the shop and coordinated and scheduled the flow of jobs between the machines. With the further advances in computer technology, and the stabilization of CNC technology, the early 1980s saw a flurry of installations of systems designed along the lines of Williamson's System 24. Pioneering companies such as Caterpillar and John Deere in the US started to build large systems which went against traditional manufacturing dogma - systems which combined economies of scope and scale. These large computer-controlled systems had a relatively high aggregate output yet were flexible, since they could produce a number of different products (See Figure 4.6.1). NOTE: Play .flv files in folder Unit4 of the accompanying CD using provided VLC GNU Media Player s/w to demonstrate FMS.

Figure 4.6.1 FMS / Mfg. Cell are flexible and high production volume

Flexible Manufacturing Systems (FMS), as they were called, became a great focus of attention in industry and in academic research for a number of years. Although the more skeptical might say that behind the rapid growth of publicity and interest in FMS laid a bubble inflated by a sales-hungry machine-tool industry, it was nevertheless clear that the systems demonstrated a significant technical advance in manufacturing practice. The real strength of these FMS lay in the fact that they brought tremendous benefits in inventory reduction (often 85%), quality improvement and lead time. In many installations, the inventory reduction alone was sufficient to justify the investment in hardware, software and system design effort.

WHAT IS A FMS? A flexible manufacturing system (FMS) is a highly automated GT machine cell, consisting of a group of processing workstation (using CNC machine tools), interconnected by an automated material handling and storage system, and controlled by a distributed computer system. The reason the FMS is called flexible is that it is capable of processing a Varity of different part styles semolina easily at the various workstation, and the mix of part styles to changing demand pattern. The initials FMS are sometimes used to denote the term flexible machining system. The machining process is presently the largest application area of FMS technology. However it seems to interpret FMS in its border meaning, allowing for a wide range of possible applications beyond machining.

Definition of FMS: It is a group of processing stations (mainly CNC), interconnected by means of an automated material handling and storage system and controlled by an integrated computer. It is application of features of CIM in limited area of production activities only. 1. Production point of view: Machining system which can effectively handle batch production and combine flexibility of single CNC m/c tool with the productivity of a transfer line. 2. Process planning point of view: An integrated production system combing machining centers and other machine tools controlled by a computer which can handle diverse work types. 3. Scheduling point of view: Random scheduling capability within system parameters. 4. Business point of view: System which can serve a volatile market with order input to saleable product output with minimum response time using minimum working capital.

What makes it flexible? The three capabilities that a manufacturing system must posses to be flexible:

1. A ability to identify and distinguish among the different parts or products styles processed by the system, 2. Quick change over of operating instruction and 3. Quick change over of physical setup. Flexibility is an attribute that applies to both manual and automated systems. In manual systems, the human workers are of ten the enablers of the systems flexibility.

To qualify as being flexible a manufacturing system showed satisfies several criteria. The following are four reasonable tests of flexibility in an automated manufacturing system

1. Part variety test:

Can the system process different part styles in a non batch mode?

2. Schedule change test:

Can the systems readily accept changes in production schedule and changes in either part mix or production quantities?

3. Error reverie test:

Can the system recover gracefully from equipment malfunction and breakdowns, so that production is not completely disrupted?

4. New part test:

Can new part designs be introduced into the existing product mix with relative ease?

Type of FMS Each FMS is designed for a specific a application; i.e. a specific family of parts and processes. Therefore, each FMS is custom engineered; each FMS is unique. FMSs can be distinguished according to the kinds of operations they perform: 1. Processing operations. 2. Assembly operation an FMS is usually designed to perform one or the other but rarely both. Two other ways to classify FMSs are by: (1) Number of machine and (2) Level of flexibility.

(1) Number of machine:

FMSs can be distinguished according to the

Number of machine in the system. The following are typical categories: Single machine cell: Only one workstation, Fig 4.6.2. Flexible manufacturing cell: Maximum four processing workstations, fig 4.6.3. Flexible manufacturing system: Four or more processing workstation connected mechanically by a part handing system and electronically on distributed computer systems. Fig 4.3.4 to Fig 4.3.7. Flexible transfer line: A no. of CNC or head changeable machine tool is combined by automatic material handling or transfer means. Produces family of parts without flexibility routing of work pieces. Fig 4.6.4

Fig 4.6.2: Single Machine Cell

Fig 4.6.3. Flexible manufacturing cell.

Fig 4.6.4: Flexible transfer line

(2) Level of flexibility:

According to the level of flexibility designed into the

system, irrespective of the number of machines or workstation two categories are distinguished here (i) A dedicated FMS: It is designed to produce a limited variety of part styles and the complete universe of parts to be made on the system is known in advance. The term flexible transfer line is some times used for this case. (ii) A random-order FMS: It is more a appropriate when the part family is large there are substantial variety in part configurations there will be new part designs introduced into the system and engineering changes in part currently produced and the production schedule is subject to change from day to day. We see in these two system types the tradeoff between flexibilities and productivity.

FMS DATA Files Principal data files required for a FMS are: 1. Part program file: Part program for each work part processed the system is maintained in this file. 2. Routing file: Contains a list of workstations through which each work part must be processed, it also contains alternate routings. 3. Part production file: A fill of production parameters is maintained for each work part. It contains data reactive to production rates fro the various machines in the roiling, allowances for in-process inventory, inspections required and soon. 4. Pallet reference file: Used to maintain a record of the parts that each pallet can accept. 5. Station tool file: A file at each workstation identifies the codes of the cutting tools strode at their station. 6. Tool-life file: A data file used for the tool-life value for each cutting tool.

System Reports Utilization Repots Production Reports Status Reports Tool Reports Availability Reports.

FMS Benefits Increased machine utilization Fewer machines required Reduction in factory floor spare required Greater responsiveness to change Reduced inventory requirements Lower mane fettering lead times Reduced direct labor retirements Opportunity for unattended production