Flexible Manufacturing

Systems
Flexible Manufacturing System
Flexible Manufacturing System

3.1
Flexible Manufacturing System

3.1
Flexibility
1. Machine flexibility

Capability of a machine to perform a variety of operations on a

variety of part types and sizes. It depends on changeover, ease of
machine programming, tool storage capacity etc.

2. Routing flexibility

Alternative machines, sequences or resources can be used for

manufacturing a part for changes resulting from equipment
breakdowns, tool breakages, controller failures, etc.

It depends on the similarity of the parts in the mix, similarity and

duplication of workstations etc.
Flexibility
3. Process flexibility

 Ability to absorb changes in the product line by performing

similar operations.
 The process generalization method which can be used for more
than one product .
 e.g. painting a car is a flexible process which have a generalized
range of car sizes that it can adapt to.

4. Product flexibility

 Ability to change over to a new set of products economically and

quickly in response to markets.
 Different variants in a model but closely related in design
 e.g. Ford producing mini trucks as well as SUVs ; cell phones of
different models
Flexibility

5. Production flexibility

Ability to produce a range of part styles / products that can be

produced on the systems without adding capital equipment /
investment.

6. Volume flexibility

Ability to economically produce parts in high and low quantities of

production in order to respond unanticipated demand to meet
customer needs. It depends on the level of manual labour
performing production, amount invested in capital equipment etc.
Flexibility
7. Expansion flexibility

Ease with which the system can be expanded to increase total

production quantities . It depends on the expense of adding the
workstations, ease with which layout can be changed / expanded,
type of part handling system used, ease with which properly trained
workers can be added.
Types of Flexible Manufacturing Systems

3.1
Types of Flexible Manufacturing Systems

Single machine

3.1

Flexible Manufacturing Cell

FMS Components

3.1
Work Stations

3.1
Work Stations

3.1
Material Handling and Storage Systems

3.1
Computer Control Systems

3.1
Computer Control Systems

3.1
Human Resources

3.1
FMS Components
FMS Components

A 5 machine FMS for machining at Cincinnati Milacron, OH, USA

Advantages of FMS
 Reduction in manufacturing cost by lowering direct
labor cost and minimizing scrap, re-work, and material
wastage.
 Less skilled labor required.
 Reduced inventory, due to the planning and
programming precision
 Reduction in production lead time permitting
manufacturers to respond more quickly to the
variability of market demand.
 Better process control resulting in consistent quality.
Disadvantages of FMS
 Limited ability to adapt to changes in product or
product mix (e.g., machines are of limited capacity and
the tooling necessary for products, even of the same
family, is not always feasible)
 Expensive, costing millions of dollars
 Technological problems related to component
positioning and precise timing to process a component
to maintain consistent quality
 Sophisticated manufacturing systems
FMS Applications

3.1
FMS Applications

3.1
FMS Planning and Design

3.1
 Loop layout
FMS layouts
Ladder
Open field
1. In-line layout: All parts in the production process follow the
layout
layout
same progression through the machining station.

In-line layoutfor a
2. Loop layout: Arranged for the general order of processing
larger variety of parts.
• Parts can skip stations for flexibility
• Used for large part sizes
• Best for long process times

3. Ladder layout:
• Parts can be sent to any machine in any sequence

4. Open Field Layout:

• Enables material to move along the machine centers in any
particular order necessary.
 FMS Example
One Design + One Assembly Process = Multiple Models

When different models are designed to be assembled in the same sequence they can be
built in the same plant.
This maximizes efficiency and allows the company to respond quickly to changing
customer