Robotics and Automation

Lecture 1-2

MFET5023

Dr. Sang-Heon LEE

School of
Advanced Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering
University of South Australia

Lecture outline
This lecture will cover;
1. Type of production
2. Plant layouts
3. Type of automation
4. Automation Strategies

Type of production and Automation

Type of Production
Three types of productions according
to the quantity of products
9 Batch production
9 Job shop production
9 Mass production

Job Shop Production

Low production volume (1-1000/year)

Lot size is small (one of a kind)
Specific customer orders will trigger the
production
Customized design and greater variety
Equipment: Flexible and general purpose
Skill: relatively high
Material handling equipment: flexible (no
standard path of material flow)
Example: Aircraft, machine tools, prototypes

Batch Production
production of medium sizes of same products or
parts (100-10000/year)
Produce only once or with regular interval
C
Continuous
ti
demand:
d
d production
d ti rate
t > demand
d
d
rate.
Equipment: general purpose equipment but with
high usage rate.
Specially designed jigs and fixtures.
Example: books, clothing, furniture, some
industrial machinery.

Mass production

Type of Production

Continuous dedicated production of large

quantities of one product (with limited model
variations) (10000 or above/year)
Very
V
high
hi h production
d ti and
d demand
d
d rate.
t
Equipment: Specific purpose machine with being
completely dedicated to the particular products
Investment in machines and tooling is very high
Skill level of labour tends to be lower.

Plant layouts
Arrangement of physical facilities in a production
plant.
The physical size, quantity, and variety of products
being manufactured often determine the plant
layouts.
9 Fixed-position Layout.
9 Process Layout.

Fixed-position Layout
Product remains in one location. Workers and
equipment move around the product
Usually associated with Job shop production
type in which complex products are
fabricated in very low quantity
Ship or aircraft production

9 Product Flow Layout.

9 Cellular Layout.

Fixed-position Layout

Process Layout
The production machines are arranged into
groups according to general type of
manufacturing processes
Flexible for different parts
Typical in job shop production and batch
production

Process Layout

Product Flow layout

Processing and assembly facilities are
placed along the line of flow of the product
Plants (workers and stations) are designed
specifically for the production of certain
specific product(s).
One product or one class of products in
large quantity.
Typical for batch productions

Product Flow layout

Cellular Layout
Machines are arranged into cells
Each cell is organised to specialised in the
production
d i off a particular
i l part family
f il (a
( set
of similar products.)
Reduced work piece handling, lower setup
times, less in progress inventory, shorter
lead time.

Cellular Layout

Composite view

Automation

Automation - Examples

Automation: the technology associated with the

application of complex mechanical, electronic and
computer based systems to operate and control
production.
A reduced or no human intervention
It usually refers a combination of;
o Computerisation of information processing
activities.
o Automation of physical manufacturing activites
in the factory.

Automatic machine tools to process the parts,

Automatic assembly machines,
Industrial robots,
Automatic material handling and storage
systems,
Automatic inspection systems,
Process control systems,
Computer systems for planning, data
collection, and decision making to support
manufacturing activities.

Automatic assembly
systems

Welding
Robot

Automatic
Guided
Vehicle

Reasons for Automating

Increase productivity,
Reduce cost of labour,

Automatic Conveyer
systems

Mitigate labour shortage,

shortage

Automated
Storage/
Retrieval
System

Reduce or eliminate routine manual and clerical

tasks - trend of labour toward service sector
people prefer white colour work to blue colour
work (tedious, dirt jobs),

Reasons for Automating

Reasons for Not Automating

Improve safety better relation with workers,

High cost of raw materials requires greater
efficiency in materials,

Task is too technologically difficult to

automate,,

Improved product quality,

Short product life cycle,

Reduced manufacturing lead time.

Customised product one-of-a-kind,

Reduced work in-process inventory

Flexibility in coping with changing demand

adaptability.

High cost of not automating

Types of Automation

Fixed Automation

Fixed Automation

A system in which the sequence of the

processing or assembly operation is fixed by
the equipment configuration.

Programmable Automation

The operation in the sequence are usually

simple.

Flexible Automation

It is the integration and coordination of many

such operations make the system very
complex.
Consists of workstations connected by
conveyers or machine transfer lines.

Fixed Automation

Fixed Automation

Press Automation
Body Assembly

High initial investment for customised

equipment (Jig, Die, etc.)

Paint Finishing

Very efficient - High production rate (no extra

operations).
Relatively inflexible in accommodating
product changes.
Power Train Assembly

Final Trim and Assembly

Fixed Automation: Economic

justification
For the products with high demands and
volumes
The high initial cost spread over a very large
number of units. So the cost for each unit is
low.
Automobile production, automatic chemical
production plant, etc

Programmable Automation
The production equipment is designed with the
capability to change the sequence of operations
to accommodate different product
configuration.
fi
ti
Operation sequence controlled by a program (a
set of instruction codes - system can read and
interpret)
New programs can be prepared and entered
into the equipment to adopt to a new product.

Programmable Automation

Automatic press line

Programmable Automation

CNC milling machine

Mitsubishi welding
robot (Video clip)

Programmable Automation
Economic Justification

High investment in general-purpose

equipment (flexible).

Used in low to medium production

Low p
production rates relative to fixed
automation (not efficient)

The changeover procedure takes time

Flexibility to deal with changes in product

configuration.
Most suitable for job shop batch production

Made in batch
9 Reprogrammed
9 Set-up the machine must be changed
(tools, fixtures, setting, etc)

Flexible Automation
An extension of programmable automation
using digital computer capable to produce
9 Various combinations of products
p
9 Various schedule of products (instead of
batch production)
9 With virtually no time lost

Flexible Automation

Differences from
Programmable Automation
Continuous production without the downtime
between batches
Abilityy to change
g part
p
programs
p g
with no lost
production time
Capability to change the physical setup with no
lost production time.

Flexible Automation - Example

High investment for customised equipment.

Continuous production of various mixtures of
products.
products
Medium production rate.
Flexibility to deal with product design
variations.
Philmac flexible automation cell

Variables affecting Automation

Economic justification for

automation

The degree of automation is a function of the

quality of unit produced and product variety
Production quantity:
Low production: 1 to 100 units/year.
Medium quantity: 100-10,000units/year.
High production: 10,000 to millions of units/year.
Product variety refers to the different product
designs or types that are produced in a factory.

Automation strategies
Example: Assume that your task is to automate
the Sand casting process. The tasks involved
are (VOB2- 6:30 to 7:30)
Creating a pattern materials
Building a mould in sand
Pouring the mould
Removal of the cast part
Grinding the part for finishing

Automation strategies
1. Specialisation of operations: use of special
purpose equipment designed to perform one
operation with great efficiency.
2. Combined operations: reduction of the number
of distinct production machines or workstations
probably accomplished by more than one work
to be given to one machine save set-up time,
material handling effort. production occurs as a
sequence of operations.

Automation strategies
6. Improved material handling and storage: use of
automated system to handling and transferring of
the materials.
7. On-line inspection: early warning and correction
system, higher quality.
8. Process control and optimisation: more efficient
process and equipment use.

Automation strategies
3. Simultaneous operations: two or more operations
performed simultaneously on the same work
station.
4 Integration of operations: link several
4.
workstations into a single integrated mechanism
using automated work handling devices to
transfer parts between stations.
5. Increased flexibility: use the same equipment for
a variety of products using flexible automationreduce setup time and programming time.

Automation strategies
9. Plant operations control: This concerns the
control of the whole plant operations.
Management and coordination of different
depa tments in the plant.
departments
plant
10. Computer integrated manufacturing:
extensive use of computers to the whole
company.

Multi-stage manufacturing

Computerisation of Information
processing activities
CAD (Computer aided design)
CAM (Computer aided manufacturing)
CAD/CAM
CIM (Computer integrated manufacturing)

CAD
The technology concerned with the use of
computer systems to perform or assist certain
functions in product design:
Creation and modification
Analysis
9 Stress-strain analysis of components
9 Dynamic response of mechanisms
9 Heat-transfer calculations
Optimization of a design.

CAM
The technology concerned with the use of
computer systems to perform or assist certain
functions in Production
9 Plan
9 Manage
9 Control
the operations of a manufacturing plant through
either direct or indirect computer interface with
the plants production.

CAD - examples
Conceptual design
Drafting, prototyping
Design layout
Modeling
Assembly design
Analysis
Bill of material (BOM)

Applications
Computer monitoring & control: The computer
is connected directly to the manufacturing process
for the purpose of monitoring or controlling the
process.
9 Observing the process and associated equipment
9 Collect data from process
9 Controlling the process based on the data analysis

Applications
Manufacturing support applications: The
computer is used in support of the production
operations in the plant.
Computer is used off-line to provide
9 Plans
9 Schedules
9 Forecasts
9 Information

CAM - Example
Numerical control Path planning
determine machining type (drilling,
milling), method (rough, detail,depth
of cut)
cut), tools (size
(size,shape),
shape) geometry.
geometry
Numerical control part programming
Computer aided process planning
Material requirement planning

To manage production resources more

effectively.

CAD/CAM

Advantages of CAD/CAM

An integration of design and manufacturing

activities by means of computer systems

Increase productivity

Provide direct link between design

g and
manufacturing

Improve product quality

Handle the flow of information

Reduce cost
Reduce manufacturing lead time
Reduce in-process inventory
Flexibility

Product cycle with CAD/CAM

CIM
All of the companys operations related to the
production functions are incorporated in an
integrated computer system.
Functions:
9 Design products
9 Plan productions
9 Control operations
9 Perform various business related functions
needed in manufacturing

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CIM Model
CIM Integrates

Design,
Production engineering,
Production control Automation,, scheduling,
g,
Manufacturing functions analysis and
simulation,
Sales and marketing strategic planning,
Financial control,
Management,
Maintenance.

Automation and CIM

Automation

Last words on automation

Productivity improvement has been a critical issue for

most companies in the developed countries to survive in
the current highly competitive global markets.

In 70s and 80s,, most CEOs believed that automation was

the answer for it.

However, we now have found that the answer lies in

strategies which are more concerned with organisation
and management rather than technology and hardware
alone.

Automation can support such strategies. Without

strategies, automation typically leads only to more
expensive failure.

9 Involves physical activities

9 Focus on equipments
q p
9 Only include manufacturing processes
CIM
9 Involves information processing activities
9 Use of computer technology
9 Include both manufacturing processes and
design/Planning.

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