Modern Production Systems DPE202

CHPTER 2
Automation in Production Systems
1- Introduction
What is the automation?
Automation is the technology by which a process or a procedure is accomplished
without human assistance. It is implemented using a program of instructions
combined with a control system that executed the instructions.
What is the production system?
The collection of people, equipment, and procedures organized to accomplish the
manufacturing operations of a company. It can be divided into two categories;

Fig. 2.1 Categories of the

production systems

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Modern Production Systems DPE202

1- Production system facilities

The production system facilities are; factory, production machine and
tooling, material handling equipments, inspection equipments and the
computer systems that control the manufacturing operations.
The manufacturing systems can be individual working cell or groups of
machines.
The production system can be classified according to;
1- Product quantity; low production (less than 100 Product /year),
medium production (less than 10,000 Product /year), and high
production (less than 1,000,000 Product /year), fig. 2.2.

Fig. 2.2 the relation between the product

quantity and the product variety

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Modern Production Systems DPE202

2- Type of facilities (job shop, batch production, cellular production, and mass
production [quantity or flow line]). Figure 2.2 shows the relation between
the product variety, the product quantity and the manufacturing system.

Fig. 2.2 Relation between the product variety, the product quantity and the
manufacturing system.

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Modern Production Systems DPE202

3- Plant layout (fixed position layout, process layout, cellular layout, and
product layout). Fig.2.3 shows the plant layout systems.

fixed position layout process layout

cellular layout product layout

Fig. 2.3 the plant layout systems

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Modern Production Systems DPE202

The relations of these three classifications are;

 For low production, the job shop can be used.
 For medium production, the batch production or cellular production facilities
can be used
 For high production, the mass production facilities can be used.
 Fixed position layout can be used in low quantity and job shop.
 Process layout can be used for medium quantity that can be made with job
shop, batch, cellular, or quantity mass production facilities.
 Product layout can be used for high quantity that can be made with flow line
mass production facilities.
 Cellular layout can be used for medium quantity that can be made with cellular
manufacturing facilities.
2- Manufacturing Support systems.
To operate the production facilities efficiently, the company should design the
process and equipment, plan and control the production orders, and satisfy the
product quality.
Most the support systems are not directly contact to the product, but plan and
control its progress through the factory. These systems are such as; business
function, manufacturing control, product design, manufacturing planning (process
planning, master scheduling, requirements, and capacity planning).

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Modern Production Systems DPE202

2- Automation in production systems:

a) Automation of the manufacturing systems in the factory; Such
as, automated machine tools, transfer lines, assembly systems, use
industrial robots, use automatic material handling, and automatic
inspection.
Types of automation;
• Fixed automation (high initial investment, high production rate, relatively
inflexible); for example; machining transfer lines, and automated assembly
machines.
• Programmable automation (high investment, lower production rate,
flexibility to deal with changes in product configurations, most suitable for
batch production); for example; NC, industrial robots, programmable logic
controllers.
• Flexible automation, no lost time in reprogramming the system and
physical setup (tooling, fixtures, and machine setup); (high investment,
continuous production of variable mixture of products, medium production
rate, high flexibility).

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Modern Production Systems DPE202

Figure 2.4 shows the relation between the types of automation, the production quantity
and the product variety. For large production quantities, more than 10000
product/year and low product variety the fixed automation is preferred. While for
small batch and high variety products the programmable automation is the best choice.

Fig.2.4 Relation between the types of automation, the production quantity and the
product variety.
b) Computerization of the manufacturing support systems;
CIM, CAD/CAM,

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Modern Production Systems DPE202

3- Reasons for Automation:

a) To increase labor productivity
b) To reduce the labor cost.
c) To improve the labor safety.
d) To improve the product quality
e) To reduce manufacturing lead-time.
f) To accomplish processes that cannot done manually.
g) To avoid the high cost of not automation.
h) To reduce the effect of labor shortage.
4- Basic elements of an automated system
1) Power
2) Program of instructions
3) Control system.

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Modern Production Systems DPE202

1) Power; to accomplish the automated process

Power for the Process;
1. Driving the manufacturing process itself
2. Loading and unloading the work unit.
3. Material transport between operations.
Automation Power;
1. Control unit
2. To actuate the control signal.
2) Program of instruction
Work cycle program, steps to perform the required processes to get the
final product and the process parameter (s) changes in each setup. (Ex;
make a bolt or a nut)
Decision making in the programmed cycle
1) Operator interaction
2) Different part or product styles processed by the system
3) Variations in the starting work units

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Modern Production Systems DPE202

3) Control system the control system causes the process to accomplish its
defined function.
1) Open loop control system, fig. 2-5(a).
2) Closed loop control system (direct measuring system and indirect
measuring system), fig. 2-5(b).

(a) Open loop control system

(b) Closed loop control system

Fig. 2-5 types of control systems, (a) open loop, (b) closed loop.

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Modern Production Systems DPE202

5) Advanced Automation functions

1) Safety monitoring
Safety actions
1. Complete stopping the system
2. Sounding alarm
3. Reducing the speed or feed
2) Maintenance and repair diagnostics
1. Status monitoring
2. Failure diagnostics
3. Recommendation of repair procedures
3) Error detection and recovery

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Modern Production Systems DPE202

6- Levels of automation
1) Device level 2) Machine level
3) Cell or system level 4) Plant level
5) Enterprise level

Fig. 2-6 levels of automation and control in manufacturing.

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Arabic Republic of Egypt ‫جمهورية مصر العربية‬
Zagazig University ‫جامــــعة الزقازيق‬
Faculty of Engineering ‫كلية الهندســـــــة‬
Aero-Spacecraft Engineering Program ‫برنامج هندسة الطيران والمركبات الفضائية‬
Modern Production System ‫أنظمة اإلنتاج الحديثة‬

Sheet 1
Introduction and automation
1. Define CAD and mention the fundamental reasons for implementing it?

2. Define CAM and discuss its applications categories?

3. Discuss the design related tasks, which are performed by a modern CAD systems?
4. What is the relation between CAD and CAM systems? Discuss their integrated
database?
5. What are the benefits of CAD systems and discuss these benefits in CAM systems?

6. What are the basic types of automated manufacturing systems?

7. Make a comparison between the different types of the automated manufacturing

systems?
8. Mention some reasons for automation?

9. Define the automation?

10. Discuss the basic elements of automation?

11. What are the different levels of automation?