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II.
Depositing it into the assignment box located outside the Mechanical Engineering Research Laboratory at
Science & Technology building, Nawala.
III.
Personally handing it over to the respective Coordinator. (Make sure that it is day stamped).
4. Deadline for submission: 06th February 2015. Please note that late submissions will not be entertained.
1) Identify an industry in Sri Lanka that you think should opt for manufacturing automation and
computer-integrated manufacturing. Explain the reasons to justify your argument and discuss them
separately.
2) In automatic control of systems, feedback control is often required to ensure high-performance
control. Explain with special emphasis on:
a) Practical difficulties in implementation
b) Cost concerns
Why control in domestic bread toasters is usually implemented as open loop systems.
3) Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) more closely associated with the process industries or the
discrete manufacturing industries. Explain.
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4) Consider an automated cell consisting of a CNC machine tool, a parts storage unit, and a robot for
loading and unloading the parts between the machine and the storage unit. Possible errors that
might be affect this system can be divided into following categories.
a)
i.
ii.
Cutting tools
iii.
iv.
v.
Load//unload robot
Develop a list of the possible errors (deviations and malfunctions) that might be included in
each of the above categories.
b)
Develop a list of the possible corrective actions that might be taken by the system to address
some of the errors.
5) Automation is not always the right answer for a given production situation. Explain giving reasons.
6) Consider an automated turning operation that generates a cone-shaped product. Assume that
system is automated and that a robot is used to load and unload the work unit. The work cycle
consists of the following steps.
i.
ii.
iii.
Turn
iv.
v.
Identify the activities and process parameters for each step of the operation.
7) What do you understand by Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs)? Discuss the types of AGVs.
8) Explain the advantages of AGVs as compared to other established material transport systems in
manufacturing and warehouse facilities.
9) Describe the production situations in which Flexible Manufacturing System (FMS) technology can be
applied.
10) Describe the benefits of introducing flexibility in manufacturing.
END
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