INTRODUCTION TO

MANUFACTURING
SYSTEMS
MANUFACTURING SYSTEM
“A collection of integrated equipment and human resources, whose function is to
perform one or more processing and/or assembly operations on a starting raw
material, part, or set of parts.”
• Integrated Equipment includes:
• Production machines and tools
• Material handling and work positioning devices
• Computer systems
• Human resources are required either full-time or periodically to keep the system
running
A Manufacturing System is where the value added work is accomplished on the parts
and the products.
EXAMPLES OF MANUFACTURING
SYSTEMS
• Single Station Cell: One worker tending one production machine that operates on semi-automatic
cycle
• Machine Cluster: One worker tends a group of semi-automatic machines
• Manual Assembly Line: A production line consisting of a series of workstations at which assembly
operations are performed by humans to gradually build a product as it moves the line, usually by
conveyor.
• Automated Assembly Line: It performs a sequence of automated or mechanized assembly operations.
• Automated Transfer Line: Production line consisting of automated workstations that perform
processing operations. Transfer of parts between stations is also automated.
• Machine Cell: It performs operations on a family of parts or products that are similar but not identical
(Cellular Manufacturing). Workstations are usually laid out in a U-shaped configuration.
• Flexible Manufacturing System (FMS): A highly automated machine cell that produces parts/product
families.
COMPONENTS OF A MANUFACTURING
SYSTEM
1. Production machines, tools, fixtures, etc
• In virtually all modern manufacturing systems, most of the actual processing or
assembly work is accomplished by machines or with the aid of tools.

Classification of Production Machines

• Manually operated machines
• Semi-automated machines
• Fully automated machines
Manually operated machines

Manually operated machines are controlled or supervised by a human worker. The

machine provides the power for the operation and the worker provides the control.
The entire work cycle is operator controlled.
Semi-automated machines

A semi-automated machine performs a portion of the work cycle under some form
of program control, and a worker tends to the machine for the remainder of the
cycle. Typical worker tasks include loading and unloading parts.
Fully automated machines

Machine operates for extended periods (longer than one work cycle) without
worker attention (periodic tending may be needed).
WORKSTATION

• WORKSTATION refers to a location in the factory, where a well-defined task

or operation is accomplished by an automated machine, a worker and a
machine combination, or a worker using hand tools and/or portable power
tools.
• A given manufacturing system consists of one or more workstations.
• A system with multiple workstations is called a production line, machine cell
depending on its configuration and function.
 COMPONENTS OF A MANUFACTURING SYSTEM

2. Material Handling System

• In most manufacturing systems that process or assemble discrete parts and products,
the following material handling functions must be provided:
a. Loading involves moving the work units into the production machine or
processing equipment from a source inside the station
b. Positioning requires the part to be in a known location and orientation relative to
the workhead or tooling that performs the operation
c. Unloading is removing the work unit from the production machine and either
placing in a container at the workstation or preparing for transport to the next
workstation in the processing sequence
d. Transporting work units between stations in multi-station systems
e. Temporary storage of work units
Work Transport Between Stations
• Two general categories of work transport in multi-station manufacturing
systems:
1. Fixed routing
• Work units always flow through the same sequence of workstations
• Most production lines (flow shop) exemplify this category
2. Variable routing
• Work units are moved through a variety of different station sequences
• Most job shops exemplify this category
(a) Fixed Routing (flow shop) & (b) Variable Routing (job shop, cells, fms)
 COMPONENTS OF A MANUFACTURING SYSTEM

3. Computer Control System

Typical computer functions in a manufacturing system:
• Communicate instructions to workers (receive processing or assembly instructions
for the specific work unit),
• Download part programs to computer-controlled machines,
• Control material handling system,
• Schedule production,
• Failure diagnosis when malfunctions occur and preventive maintenance,
• Safety monitoring (protect both the human worker and equipment),
• Quality control (detect and reject defective work units produced by the system),
• Operations management (manage overall operations).
 COMPONENTS OF A MANUFACTURING SYSTEM

4. Human Resources
• In many manufacturing systems, humans perform some or all of the value-added work
that is accomplished on the parts or products. In these cases, the human workers are
referred to as direct labor.

• They directly add to the value of the work unit by performing manual work on it by
controlling the machines that perform the work.
CLASSIFICATION OF MANUFACTURING SYSTEM
1. Types of Operations Performed
• Processing operations on work units and assembly operations to combine individual
parts into assembled entities
• Type(s) of materials processed
• Size and weight of work units
• Part or product complexity
• For assembled products, number of components per product
• For individual parts, number of distinct operations to complete processing
• Part geometry
• For machined parts, rotational vs. non-rotational
 CLASSIFICATION OF MANUFACTURING SYSTEM

2. NUMBER OF WORKSTATIONS AND SYSTEM

LAYOUT
• Convenient measure of the size of the system
• Let n = number of workstations
(n=1 single station, n>1 multi station system)
• Individual workstations can be identified by subscript i, where i = 1, 2,...,n
• Affects performance factors such as workload capacity, production rate, and reliability
• As n increases, this usually means greater workload capacity and higher
production rate
• There must be a synergistic effect that derives from n multiple stations working
together vs. n single stations
• Number of workstations exerts a strong influence on the performance of the
manufacturing system in terms of workload capacity, production rate and reliability.

• As the number of stations increases, the amount of work that can be accomplished by
the system increases. This may translate into a higher production rate.

• More stations also mean that the system is more complex, and therefore more difficult
to manage and maintain.

• The material handling system is more complex in a multi-station system.

WORKLOAD

• The WORKLOAD is the amount of processing or assembly work

accomplished by the system, expressed in terms of the time required to
perform the work.
• It is the sum of the cycle times of all the work units completed by the system
in a given period of interest.
• Work content is the total time of all work elements that must be performed on
the line to make one unit of the product.
SYSTEM LAYOUT

• Applies mainly to multi-station systems

• Fixed routing vs. variable routing
• In systems with fixed routing, workstations are usually arranged linearly
(product)
• In systems with variable routing, a variety of layouts are possible (process,
cellular)
• System layout is an important factor in determining the most appropriate type
of material handling system
 CLASSIFICATION OF MANUFACTURING SYSTEM
3. AUTOMATION AND MANNING LEVELS
• Level of workstation automation
• Manually operated
• Semi-automated
• Fully automated
• Manning level Mi = proportion of time worker is in attendance at station i
(manning level of a workstation)
• Mi = 1 means that one worker must be at the station continuously
• Mi  1 indicates manual operations
• Mi < 1 usually denotes some form of automation
M: average manning level for the system
wu: number of utility workers assigned to the system (maintenance/repairs,
material handling, tool changing)
wi: number of workers assigned specifically to station i
w: total number of workers assigned to the system

n
wu  w
i 1
i
w
M 
n n
• Single station cell (n=1)
• Manual (Mi≥1 for all stations)
• Fully automated (Mi<1 for all stations)
• Multi-station systems (n≥2)
• Manual
• Fully automated
• Hybrid (some manual/some automated)
 CLASSIFICATION OF MANUFACTURING SYSTEM

4. PART OR PRODUCT VARIETY:

FLEXIBILITY
“The degree to which the system is capable of dealing with variations in the
parts or products it produces”
Three cases:
1. Single-model case - all parts or products are identical (sufficient
demand/fixed automation)
2. Batch-model case - different parts or products are produced by the
system, but they are produced in batches because changeovers are
required (hard product variety)
3. Mixed-model case - different parts or products are produced by the
system, but the system can handle the differences without the need for
time-consuming changes in setup (soft product variety)
(a) Single-model case, (b) batch model case, and (c) mixed-model case
FLEXIBILITY

Flexibility allows a mixed model manufacturing system to cope with a certain

level of variation in part or product style without interruptions in production
for changeovers between models.
 CLASSIFICATION OF MANUFACTURING SYSTEM
ENABLERS OF FLEXIBILITY

• Identification of the different work units

The system must be able to identify the differences between work units in
order to perform the correct processing sequence
• Quick changeover of operating instructions
The required work cycle programs must be readily available to the control
unit
• Quick changeover of the physical setup
System must be able to change over the fixtures and tools required for the
next work unit in minimum time
MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS FOR MEDIUM
OR HIGH PRODUCT COMPLEXITY
MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS FOR LOW
PRODUCT COMPLEXITY
OVERVIEW OF CLASSIFICATION SCHEME
• Single-station cells
• n=1
• Manual or automated
• Multi-station systems with fixed routing
• n>1
• Typical example: production line
• Multi-station systems with variable routing
• n>1
SINGLE-STATION CELLS
• n=1
• Two categories:
1. Manned workstations - manually operated or semi-automated production
machine (M = 1)
2. Fully automated machine (M < 1)
• Most widely used manufacturing system - reasons:
• Easiest and least expensive to implement
• Most adaptable, adjustable, and flexible system
• Can be converted to automated station if demand for part or product justifies
MULTI-STATION SYSTEMS WITH FIXED
ROUTING
• n>1
• Common example = production line - a series of workstations laid out so that the part
or product moves through each station, and a portion of the total work content is
performed at each station
• Conditions favoring the use of production lines:
• Quantity of work units is high
• Work units are similar or identical, so similar operations are required in the same
sequence
• Total work content can be divided into separate tasks of approximately equal
duration
MULTI-STATION SYSTEMS WITH VARIABLE
ROUTING
• n>1
• Defined as a group of workstations organized to achieve some special purpose, such
as:
• Production of a family of parts requiring similar (but not identical) processing
operations
• Assembly of a family of products requiring similar (but not identical) assembly
operations
• Production of a complete set of components used to assemble one unit of a final
product
• Typical case in cellular manufacturing
MANUFACTURING PROGRESS FUNCTIONS
(LEARNING CURVES)

• A phenomenon manifested in virtually all manufacturing systems is the learning

curve, which was first observed and studied in aircraft assembly in the 1930s.

• The learning curve phenomenon occurs when the cycle time required to perform a
given activity decreases as the number of cycles increases.
MANUFACTURING PROGRESS FUNCTIONS
(LEARNING CURVES)
Tn = T1(N)m
where Tn = task time for the Nth unit of work; T1= task time for the first work unit; N =
the number of the unit produced in the series; and m = an exponent that depends on the
learning rate. The value of m can be determined as follows:

m = ln(LR)
ln (2)
where LR - learning rate, expressed as a decimal fraction, such as 0.80. The natural
logarithm of 2 in the denominator manifests the doubling effect of the learning rate.
Example:

A certain mechanical assembly task required 3.75 min. to complete when a skilled
worker did it for the first time. The task will be performed on an assembly line used to
produce 1000 units of a particular product. The line is currently operating on a pilot
basis, while workers are learning their respective tasks. The line will run on this basis
for 50 units, after which it will go into regular production. (a) If the learning rate for
tasks of this type is 84%, what will the task time be for the 50th unit and (b) for the
1000th unit?