‘Flexible Manufacturing Systems’
‘Automation & CAD/CAM’
FLEXIBLE MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS
A flexible manufacturing system (FMS) is a highly automated GT (Group Technology) machine cell, consisting of a group of processing workstations (usually CNC machine tools), interconnected by an automated material handling and storage system, and controlled by a distributed computer system.
Distinguishing Characteristics:
• An automatic materials handling subsystem links machines in the system and provides for automatic interchange of workpieces in each machine
• Automatic continuous cycling of individual machines
• Complete control of the manufacturing system by the host computer
• Lightly manned, or possibly unmanned
• Characteristics of application,
1. - Medium product mix
2. - Medium production volume
3. - Allows fast changeover on products
• Various measures of flexibility,
1. - Able to deal with slightly, or greatly mixed parts.
2. - Variations allowed in parts mix
3. - Routing flexibility to alternate machines
4. - Volume flexibility
5. - Design change flexibility Devamını oku …