Manufacturing capabilities can be represented by a continuum that is made of four characteristics, flexibility, production rates, production volumes, and changeover time. By looking at the various mixtures of these characteristics it is easy to see what types of manufacturing occupy the different sections in the continuum. At one end of the spectrum is the production line that has multiple work cells that are coordinated to work quite well together. This line produces a high volume of finished products and runs at a high production rate. The line also has drawback of being longer to re-configure to make a production run of products that are totally dissimilar to the products that are in a prior production run. This characteristic gives the production line very little flexibility in being able to move from one production job to the next.
On the other end of the continuum is production that is done by independent work cells. The changeover time between production jobs for these machines is fairly short, which gives them very good flexibility. However, since the devices are not linked together by automation the unit volume and the production rates for this equipment is very low. This production scenario is ideal for producing small batches of products that do not require high speed production to complete. It is easy to see how this scenario can effectively make products that are of the same family of parts because very little changeover is required between production jobs.
Flexible manufacturing automation is the center part of the continuum. It occupies this spot because of the need to draw the best parts from both of the ends of the spectrum to create a type of manufacturing that can perform at an optimum. Flexible manufacturing automation has medium performance in the areas that occupy both ends of the continuum, changeover time, unit volume, production rates, and flexibility. This type of manufacturing Performance Of Service Sector offers several excellent advantages to a company. Flexible manufacturing automation, because of its configuration, has the ability to produce similar products at the same time. As long as the products are of similar design and can utilize the same work cell operations in their creation, it is possible to have these products created at the same time. Imaginative programming of controllers allows this kind of task to be done.
That same programming will be able to make correct decisions about the disposition of dissimilar parts that are fed to the manufacturing operation in a random fashion. Parts that are designed as a widget A will be routed through the series of production centers that are particular to its requirements, while widget B will be sent through those work centers that are particular to it. Some of these work cells maybe the same and some of them may be different in completing each of these part types from the same part family. As indicated before, the controller must have each part be identified so that a decision by the program can be …
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