FLEXIBLE MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS [8] Chp 26, pg 707-710

The development of FMSs began in England and the United States simultaneously in the 1960s.
By combining the repeatability and productivity of the transfer line with the programmable
flexibility of the NC machine, a variety of parts could be produced on the same set of machines.
In the United States the first systems were called variable mission or flexible manufacturing
systems. In the late 1960s Sundstrand installed a system for machining aircraft speed drive
housings that was used for over 30 years. Overall, however, very few of these systems were sold
until the late 1970s and early 1980s, when a worldwide FMS movement began. But even today
international trade in FSM is not significant, and there are fewer than 2000 systems in the world
(less than 0.1% of the machine tool population).There is also some evidence that the market for
these large, expensive systems became saturated around the mid-1980s.
Essentially, the FMS permits (schedules) the products to take random paths through the
machines.This system is fundamentally an automated, conveyorized, computerized job shop so
the system is complex to schedule. Because the machining time for different parts varies greatly,
the FMS is difficult to link to an integrated system and often remains an island of very expensive
automation.
Application:
An aircraft parts manufacturer needed parts transfer mobility, in/out parts queue, cutting tool
library, and quality control management for production of high-technology parts.
Wire-guided vehicles offer interdepartment transfer capability as well as in-cell transport. The
QC center manages the machining accuracy for continuous flow of acceptable parts.
Parts are scheduled in batch and/or random, controlled by a management computer.
The machines are equipped with telemetry probes, adaptive control, bulk tool storage, and
complete tool management.
About 60 to 70% of FMS implementations are for components consisting of non-rotational
(prismatic) parts such as crankcases and transmission housings. Figure 26-5 depicts an FMS with
two machine tools serviced by a pallet system and an automated guided vehicle (AGV). The
balance of FMS installations are for rotational parts or a mixture of both types of parts.
The number of machine tools in an FMS varies from 2 to 10, with 3 or 4 being typical. Annual
production volumes for the systems are usually in the range of 3000 to 10,000 parts, the number
of different kinds of parts ranging from 2 to 20, with 8 being typical.
The lot sizes are typically 20 to 100 parts, and the typical part has a machining time of about 30
minutes with a range of 6 to 90 minutes per part. Each part typically needs two or three
chuckings or locating positions and 30 or 40 machining operations. Early on, NC machining
centers were used, but in recent years, CNC machine tools have been favored, leading to a
considerable number of systems being operated under direct numerical control. The machining
centers always have tool changers. To overcome the limitation of a single spindle, some systems
are being built with head changers. These are sometimes referred to as modular machining
centers.
 Flexible Manufacturing Systems June, 20
Page 2 of 4

FIGURE 26-5 An example of a

sophisticated FMS developed for
machining aircraft parts. A wire-

guided cart

called

an
AGV
(automated
guided vehicle) is used
to transport pallets from
the unload/load station to the
machines.

Common features of FMSs (see Table 26-1) are pallet changers, under floor conveyor systems
for the collection of chips (not shown), and a conveyor system that delivers parts to the machine.
This is also an expensive part of the system, as the conveyor systems are either powered rollers,
mechanical pallet transfer conveyors, or AGVs operating on underground towlines or buried
guidance cables. The carts are more flexible than the conveyors. The AGVs also serve to connect
the islands of automation, operating between FMSs and replacing human guided vehicles
(forklift trucks).
 Flexible Manufacturing Systems June, 20
Page 3 of 4

Pallets are a significant cost item for the FMS because the part must be accurately located on the
pallet and the pallet accurately located in the machine. Since many pallets are required for each
different component, a lot of pallets are needed and they typically represent anywhere from 15 to
20% of the total system cost. FMSs cost about $1 million per machine tool.

Table 26-1 Common Features of Flexible Manufacturing Systems

Computer Control in FMS

The CNC machines receive programs as needed from a host minicomputer, which acts as a
supervisory computer for the system, tracking the status of any particular machine in the system.
In recent years, in-process inspection, detection, and automatic tool position correction for tool
wear and breakage have been added because a very common problem with these systems is the
monitoring of the tool condition and performance.
However, operators are typically needed to load workpieces, unload finished parts, change worn
tools, and perform equipment maintenance and repairs. CNC and DNC functions are often
incorporated into a single FMS. The system can usually monitor piece-part counts, tool changes,
and machine utilization, with the computer also providing supervisory control of the production.
The workpieces are launched randomly into the system, which identifies each part in the family
and routes it to the proper machines. The systems generally display reduced manufacturing lead
time, low in-process inventory, and high machine tool utilization, with reduced indirect and
direct labor. The materials-handling system must be able to route any part to any machine in any
order and provide each machine with a small queue of “banked parts” waiting to be processed so
as to maximize machine utilization. Convenient access for loading and unloading parts,
compatibility with the control system, and accessibility to the machine tools are other necessary
design features for the material handling system.
The computer control system for an FMS typically has three levels. The master control monitors
the entire system for tool failures or machine breakdowns, schedules the work, and routes the
parts to the appropriate machine. The DNC computer distributes programs to the CNC machines
and supervises their operations, selecting the required programs and transmitting them at the
appropriate time. It also keeps track of the completion of the cutting programs and sends this
information to the master computer. The bottom level of computer control is at the machines
themselves.
It is difficult to design an FMS because it is, in fact, a very complex assembly of elements that
must work together. Designing the FMS to be flexible is also difficult. Many companies have
found that between the time they ordered their system and the time they had it installed and
 Flexible Manufacturing Systems June, 20
Page 4 of 4

operational, design changes had eliminated a number of parts from the FMS. That is, the system
was not as flexible as they thought. Many companies elect to identify the families of parts around
which the FMS is designed, which greatly improves the utilization of the FMS.
As an FMS generally needs about three or four workers per shift to load and unload parts, change
tools, and perform general maintenance, it cannot really be said to be self-operating. FMS
systems are rarely left untended, as in third-shift operations. Other than the personnel doing the
loading and unloading, the workers in the FMS are usually highly skilled and trained in NC and
CNC. Most installations run fairly reliably (once they are debugged) over three shifts, with
uptime ranging from 70 to 80%, and many are able to run on one shift untended.

[8] DeGarmo’s Materials & Processes in Manufacturing 10th Edition, Chp 26, pg 707-710