Flexible Manufacturing Systems

Flexible Manufacturing Systems (FMS) is an automated workshop. Automation means –automated processing, –automated transportation, –automated storing.

Decision Making in FMS Decision means –what, –when, –how, –with what to process/transport/store. Decision making is still a research topic in the forefront.

History of FMS First FMS in 1960’s in England. System 24: ever working workshop. Huge majority of FMSs is working in Japan.

Technical Development of Automated Processing 1. NC: Numeric Control –punch tape + dedicated input device –origin: textile industry used circuits of punch cards.

Technical Development of Automated Processing 2. CNC: Computer Numeric Control –A mainframe computer directed the production manchines used in the production. –What is mainframe computer? –World record: one computer controled more than 200 machines.

Technical Development of Automated Processing 3. DNC: Direct Numeric Control. The machine has its own PC. Since 1980’s.

DNC Machine

Machine Related Resources The capacity of the machine. Measured in time. The capacity of the tool magazine. Measured in number of places.

Buffer capacity

Transportation System AGV: Automated Guided Vehicle

AGV Transports a Palette

Path is Coded into the Floor

Industrial Robot Arm Hand

The Moves of an Industrial Robot Arm: –forwards/backwards –up and down –rotation around a vertical axis Hand: –up and down –rotation around a vertical axis –rotation around a horizontal axis

Robot as Transportation Device

Robot as Production Device Painter robot Welding robot –They are more expensive Assembly robot

Welding Robot

Assembly Robot 1.

Assembly Robot 2: The Case of Printed Circuit Board (PCB)

Conveyor

Conveyor on Assembly Line

Traditional Conveyor

Automated Storing System Positions Robot of the storing system

Advanteges of FMS High precision of NC machines. Flexible change among technological alternatives. Low level of workforce. Small batches. High productivity. Reduced set-up times.

Scientific Problems Avoiding deadlock Optimal schedule of production, transportation and storing simultanuously. –Exact models are too large. –Rule of thumb ↔ Heuristics

A Modern Layout

Sources of Pictures and Videos ange.jpghttp:// ange.jpg

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