101908/AE404M

INTRODUCTION TO INDSUTRIAL
AUTOMATION
MODULE 1
Industrial Automation
■ Industrial automation is the use of control systems, such as computers
or robots, and information technologies for handling different
processes and machineries in an industry to replace a human being.
■ It is the second step beyond mechanization in the scope of
industrialization.

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Mechanization
■ Mechanization is the process of changing from working largely or
exclusively by hand or with animals to doing that work with machinery.

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Course Outcomes:
CO1 Understand the basic concepts of automation methodologies and trends in
manufacturing automation.

CO2 Understand the working principle and applications of different types of sensors.

CO3 Study the design aspects of modern CNC machines.

CO4 Study the basic principles and operation of different types of material handling
devices.

CO5 Develop different pneumatic circuits based on their applications.

CO6 Familiarize the basic concepts of PLC programming.
CO7 Understand different automated inspection methods.

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SYLLABUS
Module 1
■ Automation methodologies: Concept of Mechanization and Automation – Types of
Automation Detroit type Automation, Automated flow lines, Fundamentals of Transfer
Lines.
■ Trends in manufacturing – GT and Cellular Manufacturing, Flexible manufacturing systems
– features of FMS, computer integrated manufacturing – need for AI and expert systems in
CIM, Automated assembly system – flexible assembly automation.
Module 2
■ Sensors and actuators for automation: Classification of position and motion sensors,
inductive type, electromechanical switches, rotary position sensors – resolver, encoders,
integrated motion systems, fundamental sensor methodologies, LVDT, RVDT, photo
electric, thermo electric, capacitive, magnetic detectors, impedance type gauging
transducers, linear potentiometer, strain gauges. Practical examples on design, selection and
implementation of sensor systems, calibration of sensors.
■ Electrical, Hydraulic and pneumatic actuators and their comparison, Examples - use of
Electrical, Hydraulic and pneumatic actuators in industrial automation.

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Module 3
■ Elements of CNC systems: servomotor and servo system design trends, stepper motors and
controls, adaptive control, ball screws and guideways, spindle, bearings and mountings.
Drive systems. Automated tool changers and pallet changers. Accessories, and selection of
drives for CNC machines.
■ Material Handling and Identification Technologies: Overview of Material Handling
Systems, Principles and Design Consideration, Material Transport Systems, Storage
Systems, Overview of Automatic Identification Methods.
Module 4
■ Pneumatic/Hydraulic Automation: control valves – direction, pressure and flow,
sequential control of single /multiple actuator systems, cascade and Karnaugh Veitch map
methods, step-counter systems.
■ Electro pneumatic/electro hydraulic automation: Symbols: Basic electrical elements –
relay, solenoid, timers, pneumatic – electrical converters, design of circuits and hands on
models on material handling systems.
Module 5
■ Automation Control: Sequence control and programmable controllers – logic control and
sequencing elements, ladder diagram, PLC, programming the PLC. Practical Examples on
PLC ladder programming.
■ Inspection automation: Inspection automation, off-line and on-line inspections,
computerized coordinate measuring machine – CMM construction, online inspection
systems., laser interferometer, non-contact inspection methods. Automatic gauging and size
control systems, thickness measurement, machine vision systems.
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Production Systems
■ A production system is a collection of people, equipment, and procedures
organized to perform the manufacturing operations of a company.
■ It consists of two major components
1. Facilities: The physical facilities of the production system include the
equipment, the way the equipment is laid out, and the factory in which the
equipment is located.
2. Manufacturing support systems: These are the procedures used by the
company to manage production and to solve the technical and logistics
problems encountered in ordering materials, moving the work through the
factory, and ensuring that products meet quality standards. Product design
and certain business functions are included in the manufacturing support
systems.

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Facilities
■ The facilities in the production system consist of the factory, production
machines and tooling, material handling equipment, inspection equipment,
and computer systems that control the manufacturing operations.
■ The equipment is usually organized into manufacturing systems, which
are the logical groupings of equipment and workers that accomplish the
processing and assembly operations on parts and products made by the
factory.
■ In terms of human participation in the processes performed by the
manufacturing systems, three basic categories can be distinguished (a)
manual work systems, (b) worker-machine systems, and (c) automated
systems.

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■ Automated Systems: An automated system is one in which a process is
performed by a machine without the direct participation of a human
worker.
■ Automation is implemented using a program of instructions combined
with a control system that executes the instructions.
■ Power is required to drive the process and to operate the program and
control system

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Two levels of automation can be identified: semi automated and fully
automated.
■ A semi automated machine performs a portion of the work cycle under
some form of program control, and a human worker tends to the machine
for the remainder of the cycle, by loading and unloading it, or by
performing some other task each cycle.
■ A fully automated machine is distinguished from its semi automated
counterpart by its capacity to operate for an extended period of time with
no human attention. Extended period of time means longer than one work
cycle; a worker is not required to be present during each cycle. Instead, the
worker may need to tend the machine every tenth cycle, or every
hundredth cycle. An example of this type of operation is found in many
injection molding plants, where the molding machines run on automatic
cycles, but periodically the molded parts at the machine must be collected
by a worker.

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Manufacturing Support Systems
■ To operate the production facilities efficiently, a company must organize
itself to design the processes and equipment, plan and control the
production orders, and satisfy product quality requirements.
■ These functions are accomplished by manufacturing support systems—
people and procedures by which a company manages its production
operations.
■ Manufacturing support involves a sequence of activities, as depicted

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 Reasons for Automating
1. Increase labor productivity: Automating a manufacturing operation invariably
increases production rate and labor productivity. This means greater output per
hour of labor input.
2. Reduce labor cost: Increasing labor cost has been, and continues to be, the
trend in the world’s industrialized societies. Consequently, higher investment in
automation has become economically justifiable to replace manual operations.
Machines are increasingly being substituted for human labor to reduce unit
product cost.
3. Mitigate the effects of labor shortages: There is a general shortage of labor in
many advanced nations, and this has stimulated the development of automated
operations as a substitute for labor.
4. Reduce or eliminate routine manual and clerical tasks: An argument can be
put forth that there is social value in automating operations that are routine,
boring, fatiguing, and possibly irksome. Automating such tasks improves the
general level of working conditions.
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 Reasons for Automating
5. Improve worker safety: Automating a given operation and transferring the
worker from active participation in the process to a monitoring role, or
removing the worker from the operation altogether, makes the work safer.
6. Improve product quality: Automation not only results in higher production
rates than manual operation, it also performs the manufacturing process with
greater consistency and conformity to quality specifications.
7. Reduce manufacturing lead time: Automation helps reduce the elapsed time
between customer order and product delivery, providing a competitive
advantage to the manufacturer for future orders. By reducing manufacturing
lead time, the manufacturer also reduces work-in-process inventory.
8. Accomplish processes that cannot be done manually: Certain operations
cannot be accomplished without the aid of a machine. These processes require
precision, miniaturization, or complexity of geometry that cannot be achieved
manually.
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 Automation in Production Systems
■ The automated elements of the production system can be separated into two
categories: (1) automation of the manufacturing systems in the factory, and (2)
computerization of the manufacturing support systems.
■ Automated manufacturing systems operate in the factory on the physical
product. They perform operations such as processing, assembly, inspection, and
material handling.
■ They are called automated because they perform their operations with a reduced
level of human participation compared with the corresponding manual process.
■ In some highly automated systems, there is virtually no human participation.
■ Examples of automated manufacturing systems include:
– Automated assembly systems
– Manufacturing systems that use industrial robots to perform processing or
assembly operations
– Automatic material handling and storage systems to integrate manufacturing
operations
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■ Automated manufacturing systems can be classified into three basic
types: (1) fixed automation, (2) programmable automation, and (3)
flexible automation.

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■ Fixed Automation (Detroit type Automation): Fixed automation is a
system in which the sequence of processing (or assembly) operations is fixed
by the equipment configuration.
■ Each operation in the sequence is usually simple, involving perhaps a plain
linear or rotational motion or an uncomplicated combination of the two, such
as feeding a rotating spindle.
■ Typical features of fixed automation are (1) high initial investment for
custom-engineered equipment, (2) high production rates, and (3) inflexibility
of the equipment to accommodate product variety.
■ The economic justification for fixed automation is found in products that are
made in very large quantities and at high production rates. The high initial
cost of the equipment can be spread over a very large number of units, thus
minimizing the unit cost relative to alternative methods of production.
Examples of fixed automation include machining transfer lines and automated
assembly machines.

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■ Programmable Automation: In programmable automation, the production
equipment is designed with the capability to change the sequence of
operations to accommodate different product configurations.
■ The operation sequence is controlled by a program, which is a set of
instructions coded so that they can be read and interpreted by the system.
■ New programs can be prepared and entered into the equipment to produce
new products.
■ Some of the features that characterize programmable automation include (1)
high investment in general-purpose equipment, (2) lower production rates
than fixed automation, (3) flexibility to deal with variations and changes in
product configuration, and (4) high suitability for batch production.
■ Programmable automated systems are used in low- and medium-volume
production. The parts or products are typically made in batches. To produce
each new batch of a different item, the system must be reprogrammed with
the set of machine instructions that correspond to the new item.

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■ The physical setup of the machine must also be changed: Tools must be loaded, fixtures
must be attached to the machine table, and any required machine settings must be
entered. This changeover takes time. Consequently, the typical cycle for a given batch
includes a period during which the setup and reprogramming take place, followed by a
period in which the parts are produced.
■ Flexible Automation: A flexible automated system is capable of producing a variety of
parts or products with virtually no time lost for changeovers from one design to the next.
■ There is no lost production time while reprogramming the system and altering the
physical setup (tooling, fixtures, machine settings).
■ Accordingly, the system can produce various mixes and schedules of parts or products
instead of requiring that they be made in batches.
■ What makes flexible automation possible is that the differences between parts processed
by the system are not significant, so the amount of changeover between designs is
minimal.
■ Features of flexible automation include (1) high investment for a custom-engineered
system, (2) continuous production of variable mixtures of parts or products, (3) medium
production rates, and (4) flexibility to deal with product design variations.
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Computerized Manufacturing Support Systems
■ Automation of the manufacturing support systems is aimed at reducing the amount of manual
and clerical effort in product design, manufacturing planning and control, and the business
functions of the firm.
■ Nearly all modern manufacturing support systems are implemented using computers
■ Computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) denotes the pervasive use of computer systems to
design the products, plan the production, control the operations, and perform the various
information-processing functions needed in a manufacturing firm.
■ Other terms are used to identify specific elements of the CIM system; for example,
computer-aided design (CAD) supports the product design function. Computer-aided
manufacturing (CAM) is used for functions related to manufacturing engineering, such as
process planning and numerical control part programming.
■ Computer-integrated manufacturing involves the information-processing activities that provide
the data and knowledge required to successfully produce the product. These activities are
accomplished to implement the four basic manufacturing support functions identified earlier: (1)
business functions, (2) product design, (3) manufacturing planning, and (4) manufacturing
control.

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AUTOMATED FLOW LINES
An automated flow line consists of several machines or workstations which are linked together by
work handling devices that transfer parts between the stations.
The transfer of work parts occurs automatically and the workstations carry out their specialized
functions automatically.
The flow line can be symbolized as

A raw work part enters one end of the line and the processing steps are performed sequentially as
the part moves from one station to the next.
Automated Flow
Line:Components in AFL
Buffer storage - incorporated into the flow line, either at a single
location or between every workstation
Inspection stations - to automatically perform intermediate checks
on the quality of the work parts
Manual stations - to perform certain operations which are difficult
or uneconomical to automate
Objectives of AFL

1. To reduce labour cost

2. To increase production rate
3. To reduce Work-In-Process (WIP)
4. To minimize distances moved between operations
5. To achieve specialization of operations
6. To achieve integration of operations
Configurations of automated flow line

■ Inline type
■ Segmented Inline type
■ Rotary type
Configurations of automated flow line.
In-line type: The in-line configuration consists of a sequence of workstations in a
more-or-less straight-line arrangement.

Segmented In-Line Type: The segmented in-line configuration consists of two or more
straight-line arrangement which are usually perpendicular to each other with L-Shaped
or U-shaped or Rectangular shaped. The flow of work can take a few 90° turns, either
for work pieces reorientation, factory layout limitations, or other reasons, and still
qualify as a straight-line configuration.
Configurations of automated flow line
Rotary type: In the rotary configuration, the workparts are indexed around a circular
table or dial. The workstations are stationary and usually located around the outside
periphery of the dial. The parts ride on the rotating table and arc registered or positioned,
in turn, at each station for its processing or assembly operation. This type of equipment
is often referred to as an indexing machine or dial index machine
Choice of Flow Pattern – In line or
Rotary?
Depends on the applications
• Rotary type commonly limited to smaller work pieces and to
fewer stations
• In line design preferable for large work pieces and can
accommodate a larger number of workstations
 Transfer line

A transfer line is a synchronous production line consisting of several work stations in

series integrated into one system by a common transfer mechanism and a control system.
Each station is a stopping point at which operations (machining, inspection, etc.) are
performed on the work pieces
Machining operations commonly performed on transfer lines include milling, drilling,
reaming, tapping, grinding, and similar rotational cutting tool operations.
In a transfer line, the workstations containing machining work heads are arranged in an
in-line or segmented in-line configuration and the parts are moved between stations by
transfer mechanisms

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 Methods of Transfer Lines(Work
piece transport):
■ The transporting device (transfer mechanism) not only moves the part from one
station to other, but also orients and locates the parts in correct position for
processing at each station.
(i) Continuous Transfer
(ii) Intermittent Transfer
(iii) Asynchronous Transfer
■ Continuous Transfer
In this method, the parts move continuously at constant speed and work-head moves at same speed
along with part and completes its job during motion of the part. Such a system is used in bottling
plant, packaging, etc.
■ Intermittent Transfer:
The parts are transported with discontinuous motion. The workstations are fixed in position and
parts are moved between stations. All parts are transported at the same time. (Synchronous
transfer). Such systems are used in machining operation, press working operations, and mechanised
assembly.
■ Asynchronous Transfer:
It allows part to move to next station only when the processing on the current station is over. Each
part thus moves independently of others. This system offers greater flexibility. This system permits
in process storage and also compensates for line balancing problems where there are significant
differences in processing times between stations. For longer operation, parallel stations can be used.
 TRANSFER MECHANISMS
Transfer mechanisms are used to move parts between stations. These mechanisms can be
grouped into two types: those used to provide linear travel for in-line machines, and those
used to provide rotary motion for dial indexing machines.
Linear transfer mechanisms
Three typical mechanisms are;
i. the walking beam transfer bar system,
ii. the powered roller conveyor system,
iii. the chain-drive conveyor system.
1. Walking beam systems
The walking beam transfer mechanism, the work-parts are lifted up from their workstation
locations by a transfer bar and moved one position ahead, to the next station.
The transfer bar then lowers the pans into nests which position them more accurately for
processing.

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The beam then retracts to make ready for the next transfer cycle. The action sequence
is repeated

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2. Powered roller conveyor system
This type of system is used in general stock handling systems as well as in
automated flow lines. The conveyor can be used to move pans or pallets possessing
flat riding surfaces.
The rollers can be powered by either a belt drive, in which a flat moving belt
beneath the rollers provides the rotation of the rollers by friction or chain drive
mechanism used to power the rollers.

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3. Chain-drive conveyor system
In chain-drive conveyor system either a chain or a flexible steel belt is used to transport
the work carriers. The chain is driven by pulleys in either an "over-and-under"
configuration, in which the pulleys turn about a horizontal axis

Rotary transfer mechanisms

There are several methods used to index a circular table or dial at various equal angular
positions corresponding to workstation locations.
i. Rack and pinion,
ii. Ratchet and pawl,
iii. Geneva mechanism:
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Analysis of Automated Flow Lines

■ Performance analyzed using

– Average production rate
– Line efficiency (the proportion of time the line is operating)
– Cost per item produced on the line.

– Let Tc be the ideal or theoretical cycle time

– It is the time required to transfer plus processing time at the longest
workstation.
Analysis of Automated Flow Lines

– Let Tc be the ideal or theoretical cycle time

– Let Td be the average down time
– Let F be the frequency with which line stops per cycle.
– The average production time , Tp=Tc + FTd
– F = np
– Average production rate Rp=1/Tp
Analysis of Automated Flow Lines

– Line Efficiency, E= Tc/Tp=Tc/(Tc+FTd)

– Proportion of downtime, D = FTd/Tp
Cost per item produced

– Cost per workpiece Cpc= Cm + ClTp + Ct

– Cm= cost of raw material per product
– Cl= cost per minute to operate line.
– Ct = cost of disposable tooling per workpiece.
Line cost Cl

– Cl= noCo + naCas +Cat

– no= the no: of manually operated stations.
– Co= operator cost per minute per manual station
– na= the no: of automatic stations.
– Cas= cost per minute per automatic station
– Cat= cost per minute of automatic transfer
Trends in Manufacturing

■ Group technology
■ Cellular Manufacturing
Group technology(GT)
Group technology is a manufacturing philosophy in which similar parts are
identified and grouped together to take advantage of their similarities in design and
production.
Similar parts are arranged into part families, where each part family possesses
similar design and/or manufacturing characteristics.
The processing of each member of a given family is similar, and this should result
in manufacturing efficiencies.
There are two major tasks that a company must undertake when it implements group
technology
1. Identifying the part families. If the plant makes 10,000 different parts, reviewing all of the
part drawings and grouping the parts into families is a substantial and time consuming task.
2. Rearranging production machines into machine cells. It is time-consuming and costly to
plan and accomplish this rearrangement, and the machines are not producing during the
changeover.

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Group technology and cellular manufacturing offer following benefits to companies:
1. GT promotes standardization of tooling, fixturing, and setups.
2. Material handling is reduced because the distances within a machine cell are much
shorter than within the entire factory.
3. Process planning and production scheduling are simplified.
4. Setup times are reduced, resulting in lower manufacturing lead times.
5. Work-in-process is reduced.
6. Worker satisfaction usually improves when workers collaborate in a GT cell.
7. Higher quality work is accomplished
Part Families and Machine Groups
A part family is a collection of parts that are similar either in geometric shape and
size or in the processing steps required in their manufacture.
The parts within a family are different, but their similarities are close enough to
merit their inclusion as members of the part family

Two parts are very similar in terms of geometric design, but quite different in
terms of manufacturing because of differences in tolerances, production quantities,
and materials

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The parts shown in Figure constitute a part family in manufacturing, but their
different geometries make them appear quite different from a design viewpoint.
A family of parts with similar manufacturing process requirements but different
design attributes. All parts are machined from cylindrical stock by turning; some
parts require drilling and/or milling.

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Figure shows a process-type plant layout for batch production in a machine shop. The
various machine tools are arranged by function. There is a lathe department, milling
machine department, drill press department, and so on. To machine a given part, the
workpiece must be transported between departments, perhaps visiting the same
department several times. This results in much material handling, large in-process
inventories, many machine setups, long manufacturing lead times, and high cost.
Cellular Manufacturing
■ Cellular manufacturing is an application of group technology in which dissimilar machines or
processes have been aggregated into cells, each of which is dedicated to the production of a part or
product family, or a limited group of families. Typical objectives in cellular manufacturing are
similar to those of group technology:
To shorten manufacturing lead times by reducing setup, work-part handling, waiting times, and
batch sizes.
To reduce work-in-process inventory. Smaller batch sizes and shorter lead times reduce
work-in-process.
To improve quality. This is accomplished by allowing each cell to specialize in producing a
smaller number of different parts. This reduces process variability.
To simplify production scheduling. The similarity among parts in the family reduces the
complexity of production scheduling. Instead of scheduling parts through a sequence of machines
in a process-type shop layout, the system simply schedules the parts through the cell.
To reduce setup times. This is accomplished by using group tooling (cutting tools, jigs, and
fixtures) that have been designed to process the part family, rather than part tooling, which is
designed for an individual part. This reduces the number of individual tools required as well as the
time to change tooling between parts.
Flexible manufacturing system (FMS)
■ A flexible manufacturing system (FMS) is a highly automated GT machine
cell, consisting of one or more processing stations (usually CNC machine
tools), interconnected by an automated material handling and storage
system and controlled by a distributed computer system.
■ The reason the FMS is called flexible is that it is capable of processing a
variety of different part styles simultaneously at the various workstations,
and the mix of part styles and quantities of production can be adjusted in
response to changing demand patterns.
■ An FMS relies on the principles of group technology. No manufacturing
system can be completely flexible. There are limits to the range of parts or
products that can be made in an FMS.
■ Accordingly, a flexible manufacturing system is designed to produce parts
(or products) within a defined range of styles, sizes, and processes. In other
words, an FMS is capable of producing a single part family or a limited
range of part families.
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■ Three capabilities that a flexible manufacturing system must possess are:
1. The ability to identify the different incoming part or product styles processed by the
system,
2. Quick changeover of operating instructions,
3. Quick changeover of physical setup.
■ A flexible automated manufacturing system must:
1. Part-variety: the system process different part or product styles in a mixed
model(non-batch) mode.
2. Schedule-change: The system readily accept changes in production schedule, that
is, changes in part mix and/or production quantities
3. Error-recovery: the system recover gracefully from equipment malfunctions and
breakdowns, so that production is not completely disrupted.
4. New-part: new part designs be introduced into the existing part mix with relative
ease if their features qualify them as being members of the part family for which the
system was designed.

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Types of FMS
■ Each FMS is designed for a specific application, that is, a specific family of
parts and processes. Therefore, each FMS is custom-engineered and unique.
■ Flexible manufacturing systems can be distinguished according to the kinds
of operations they perform: processing operations or assembly operations.
■ Two other ways to classify flexible manufacturing systems are by number of
machines and level of flexibility.
■ Number of Machines: Flexible manufacturing systems have a certain
number of processing machines. The following are typical categories:
■ (1) single-machine cell,
■ (2) flexible manufacturing cell, and
■ (3) flexible manufacturing system.

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■ A single-machine cell consists of one CNC machining center combined with
a parts storage system for unattended operation
■ Completed parts are periodically unloaded from the parts-storage unit, and
raw work parts are loaded into it. The cell can be designed to operate in a
batch mode, a flexible mode, or a combination of the two.
■ When operated in a batch mode, the machine processes parts of a single style
in specified lot sizes and is then changed over to process a batch of the next
part style.
■ When operated in a flexible mode, the system satisfies three of the four
flexibility tests. It is capable of (1) processing different part styles, (2)
responding to changes in production schedule, and (4) accepting new part
introductions. Test (3), error recovery, cannot be satisfied because if the
single machine breaks down, production stops.

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■ A flexible manufacturing cell (FMC) consists of two or three processing
workstations (typically CNC machining centers or turning centers) plus a
parts-handling system. The parts-handling system is connected to a load/unload
station. The handling system usually includes a limited parts-storage capacity.
■ A flexible manufacturing system (FMS) has four or more processing stations
connected mechanically by a common parts-handling system and electronically by
a distributed computer system.
■ Thus, an important distinction between an FMS and an FMC is the number of
machines: an FMC has two or three machines, while an FMS has four or more.
■ One is that the FMS generally includes non-processing workstations that support
production but do not directly participate in it. These other stations include
part/pallet washing stations, inspection stations, and so on.
■ The computer control system of an FMS is generally more sophisticated, often
including functions not always found in a cell, such as diagnostics and tool
monitoring. These additional functions are needed more in an FMS than in an FMC
because the FMS is more complex.
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 Classification based on Level of
Flexibility
■ Level of Flexibility. Another way to classify flexible manufacturing systems is
according to the level of flexibility designed into the system. Two categories of
flexibility are discussed here:
(1) dedicated and
(2) random-order.
■ A dedicated FMS is designed to produce a limited variety of part styles, and the
complete population of parts is known in advance.
■ The part family may be based on product commonality rather than geometric
similarity.
■ The product design is considered stable, so the system can be designed with a certain
amount of process specialization to make the operations more efficient. Instead of
being general purpose, the machines can be designed for the specific processes
required to make the limited part family, thus increasing the production rate of the
system.
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■ A random-order FMS is more appropriate when the following circumstances
apply:
1. the part family is large,
2. there are substantial variations in part configurations,
3. new part designs will be introduced into the system and engineering changes will
be made to parts currently produced,
4. the production schedule is subject to change from day-to-day.
■ To accommodate these variations, the random-order FMS must be more
flexible than the dedicated FMS.
■ It is equipped with general-purpose machines to deal with the product
variations and is capable of processing parts in various sequences (random
order).
■ A more sophisticated computer control system is required for this FMS type.

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Automated Assembly Systems
■ The term automated assembly refers to mechanized and automated devices
that perform various assembly tasks in an assembly line or cell.
■ Most automated assembly systems are designed to perform a fixed sequence
of assembly steps on a specific product.
■ A automated assembly system consists of the following subsystems:
1. One or more workstations at which the assembly steps are accomplished
2. Parts feeding devices that deliver the individual components to the
workstation(s)
3. A work handling system for the assembled entity.

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■ Automated assembly systems can be classified according to physical
configuration. The principal configurations, are (a) in-line assembly machine,
(b) dial-type assembly machine, (c) carousel assembly system, and (d)
single-station assembly machine.

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Parts Delivery at Workstations
■ A workstation accomplishes one or both of the following tasks:
1. A component is delivered to the assembly work head and added to the
existing base part in front of the work head (at the first station in the system,
the base part is often deposited onto a work carrier or pallet fixture),
2. A fastening or joining operation is performed at the station to permanently
attach components to the existing base part.
■ In the case of a single-station assembly system, these tasks are carried out
multiple times at the single station.

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 Computer-Integrated Manufacturing(CIM)
■ Computer-integrated manufacturing includes all of the engineering functions of
CAD/CAM, but it also includes the firm’s business functions that are related to
manufacturing.
■ The ideal CIM system applies computer and communications technology to all the
operational functions and information-processing functions in manufacturing from order
receipt through design and production to product shipment.

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■ The CIM concept is that all of the firm’s operations related to production are
incorporated in an integrated computer system to assist, augment, and automate the
operations.
■ The computer system is pervasive throughout the firm, touching all activities that
support manufacturing.
■ In this integrated computer system, the output of one activity serves as the input to
the next activity, through the chain of events that starts with the sales order and
culminates with shipment of the product.
■ Customer orders are initially entered by the company’s sales force or directly by the
customer into a computerized order entry system. The orders contain the
specifications describing the product.
■ The specifications serve as the input to the product design department. New products
are designed on a CAD system. The components that comprise the product are
designed, the bill of materials is compiled, and assembly drawings are prepared.

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■ The output of the design department serves as the input to manufacturing engineering,
where process planning, tool design, and similar activities are accomplished to
prepare for production. Process planning is performed using CAPP. Tool and fixture
design is done on a CAD system, making use of the product model generated during
product design.
■ The output from manufacturing engineering provides the input to production planning
and control, where material requirements planning and scheduling are performed
using the computer system, and so it goes, through each step in the manufacturing
cycle.
■ Full implementation of CIM results in the automation of the information flow through
every aspect of the company’s manufacturing organization.

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Expert Systems
ref: https://egyankosh.ac.in/handle/123456789/31930

■ Expert systems are the basic computer programs through which the users are able
to identify the knowledge of the experts in the concerned field. Thus, expert
systems based computer programs acts as a boon for the less knowledgeable
person in making the right decision.
■ An expert system can be considered as an area of artificial intelligence, a branch
of computer science concerned with design and implementation of programs
capable of emulating human skills such as; problem solving, decision making,
perception and language understanding
■ Expert system plays an integral role in deciding the output rate of any
manufacturing system by providing us valuable information related to scheduling
and enumeration of various resources of the system.

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 Expert Systems
ref: https://egyankosh.ac.in/handle/123456789/31930

■ Expert systems are artificial intelligence-based programs that provide solutions to

the users to resolve complex problems. In addition to this, expert systems must
have inbuilt flexibility to accommodate new knowledge easily.

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 Expert Systems- Advantages
ref: https://egyankosh.ac.in/handle/123456789/31930

■ Expert systems offer an environment for incorporating the good capabilities

of humans and the power of computers. Some of the advantages of an expert
system are given below :
a. Expert systems are able to handle symbolic information.
b. Expert system can apply heuristics to reduce the complexity of search.
c. Expert systems can accommodate new expertise whenever new knowledge
is identified.
d. Expert systems are able to explain their recommendations.
e. Expert systems reduce the company’s reliance on human experts by
capturing expert knowledge and store them in computers.

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Core Components of Expert Systems
ref: https://egyankosh.ac.in/handle/123456789/31930

66
 Core Components of Expert Systems
ref: https://egyankosh.ac.in/handle/123456789/31930

■ Inference Engine: These are the basic “control mechanism” which does actual
problem solving on the basis of rule bases stored in the system’s knowledge base.
Further, based upon the problem requirement, inference engine invoke a rule base
among the bunch of available rule bases. If, this control mechanism is kept separate
from the knowledge base, it can be used to evaluate more than one knowledge base
at a time.

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 Core Components of Expert Systems
ref: https://egyankosh.ac.in/handle/123456789/31930

■ Interpreter: It acts as a communication medium between the users and the

inference engine.

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 Core Components of Expert Systems
ref: https://egyankosh.ac.in/handle/123456789/31930

■ Knowledge Base: It includes system’s knowledge in the form of facts or logic,

rule of thumbs and rule bases that determines the association among various
stored data and solutions. These rule bases can be used to help the concerned
personnel in improving their decision making and problem solving ability.
These rule bases or logics are established by experts on the basis of their
experience and knowledge. A working memory that supplies the information
for the inference engine to process.

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Expert Systems: Comparison with Traditional
System
ref:
https://egyankosh.ac.in/handle/123456789/3193
0

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Expert Systems: Comparison with Human
Experts
ref: https://egyankosh.ac.in/handle/123456789/31930

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■ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFmWYrLPefg

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