Production System Defined

• A collection of people, equipment, and procedures organized

to accomplish the manufacturing operations of a company
• Two categories:
• Facilities – the factory and equipment in the facility and the
way the facility is organized (plant layout)
• Manufacturing support systems – the procedures used by a
company to manage production and to solve technical and
logistics problems in ordering materials, moving work
through the factory, and ensuring that products meet
quality standards

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The Production System

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 Production System Facilities
• The facilities in the production system are the factory,
production machines and tooling, material handling equipment,
inspection equipment, and the computer systems that control
the manufacturing operations.
• Facilities also include the plant layout, which is the way the
equipment is physically arranged in the factory.
• The equipment is usually arranged into logical groupings, and
we refer to these equipment arrangements and the workers who
operate them as the manufacturing systems in the factory.
• A manufacturing company attempts to organize its facilities in
the most efficient way to serve the particular mission of that
plant.
• We are concerned primarily with the production of discrete parts
and products, compared with products that are in liquid or bulk
form, such as chemicals

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 Manufacturing Systems

• Production quantity refers to the number of units of a given part

or product produced annually by the plant.
The annual part or product quantities produced in a given factory
can be classified into three ranges:
1. Low production: Quantities in the range of 1 to 100 units per
year.
2. Medium production: Quantities in the range of 100 to 10,000
units annually.
3. High production: Production quantities are 10,000 to millions of
units.
• Depending on the types of products we are dealing with, these
boundaries may shift by an order of magnitude or so.

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 Manufacturing Systems

• There is an inverse correlation between product variety

and production quantity in terms of factory operations.
• When product variety is high, production quantity tends to
be low; and vice versa.
• This relationship is depicted in Figure 1.2.
• Manufacturing plants tend to specialize in a combination of
production quantity and product variety that lies
somewhere inside the diagonal band in Figure 1.2.
• In general, a given factory tends to be limited to the product
variety value that is correlated with that production quantity.

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Figure 1.2 Relationship between product variety and
production quantity in discrete product manufacturing

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 Low Quantity Production

• The type of production facility usually associated with the

quantity range of 1 to 100 units/year is the job shop, which
makes low quantities of specialized and customized products.
• The products are typically complex
• Job shop production can also include fabricating the component
parts for the products.
• Customer orders are often special, and repeat orders may never
occur.
• Equipment in a job shop is general purpose and the labor force
is highly skilled.
• A job shop must be designed for maximum flexibility
• Workers and processing equipment are brought to the product,
rather than moving the product to the equipment.
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 Low Quantity Production
• This type of layout is referred to as a fixed-position layout, shown
in Figure 1.3(a).
• In the pure situation, the product remains in a single location
during its entire fabrication.
• Examples of such products include ships, aircraft, railway
locomotives, and heavy machinery.
• The individual parts are often made in factories that have a
process layout
• Equipment is arranged according to function or type.
• The process layout is noted for its flexibility;
• Its disadvantage is that the machinery and methods to produce a
part are not designed for high efficiency.
• Much material handling is required to move parts between
departments, so in-process inventory can be high. 9
Figure 1.3 Various types of plant layout: (a) fixed-position layout, (b)
process layout, (c) cellular layout, and (d) product layout. 10
 Medium Quantity Production

• In the medium quantity range (100-10,000 units annually).

• When product variety is hard, the traditional approach is batch
production.
• The same equipment can be shared among multiple products.
• The setup time or changeover time, it is the time to change tooling and
to set up and reprogram the machinery.
• The equipment is usually arranged in a process layout, Figure l.3(b).
• The processing or assembly of different parts or products is
accomplished in cells consisting of several workstations or machines.
• The term cellular manufacturing is often associated with this type of
production.
• The cell specializes in the production of a given set of similar parts or
products, according to the principles of group technology
• The layout is called a cellular layout, depicted in Figure 1.3(c).
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 High Production

• The high quantity range (100,000 to millions of units per year) is often
referred to as mass production.
• Two categories of mass production can be distinguished: (1) quantity
production and (2) flow line production.
• Quantity production involves the mass production of single parts on
single pieces of equipment.
• The typical layout used in quantity production is the process layout,
Figure 1.3(b).
• Flow line production involves multiple workstations arranged in
sequence, and the parts or assemblies are physically moved through
the sequence to complete the product.
• The layout is called a product layout, and the workstations are arranged
into one long line, as in Figure 1.3(d), or into a series of connected line
segments.
• The work is usually moved between stations by powered conveyor.

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 High Production

• The pure case of flow line production is where there is no

variation in the products made on the line.
• Every product is identical, and the line is referred to as a
single model production line.
• The term mixed-model production line applies to those
situations where there is soft variety in the products made
on the line.

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Figure 1-4 Types of facilities and layouts used for different levels of
production quantity and product variety
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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 cycle of information-
processing activities, as illustrated in Figure 1.5.
• The information-processing cycle, represented by the outer
ring, can be described as consisting of four functions:
• business functions,
• product design,
• manufacturing planning, and
• manufacturing control.

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 Manufacturing Support Systems

Business Functions. The business functions are the principal

means of communicating with the customer.

Figure 1.5 The information-processing cycle in a typical

manufacturing firm.
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 Manufacturing Support Systems
Product Design. If the product is to be manufactured to customer design, the
design will have been provided by the customer.
Manufacturing Planning. The information and documentation that constitute the
product design flows into the manufacturing planning function.
Process planning consists of determining the sequence of individual processing
and assembly operations needed to produce the part.
Manufacturing Control. Manufacturing control is concerned with managing and
controlling the physical operations in the factory to implement the
manufacturing plans.
Shop floor control deals with the problem of monitoring the progress of the
product as it is being processed, assembled, moved, and inspected in the
factory.
Inventory control attempts to strike a proper balance between the danger of too
little inventory (with possible stockouts of materials) and the carrying cost of
too much inventory.
The mission of quality control is to ensure that the quality of the product and its
components meet the standards specified by the product designer.
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 Automation in Production Systems

• Some elements of the firm's production system are likely

to be automated, whereas others will be operated
manually or clerically.
• For our purposes here, automation can be defined as a
technology concerned with the application of mechanical,
electronic, and computer-based systems to operate and
control production.
• The automated elements of the production system could
be separated into two categories:
• automation of the manufacturing systems in the factory and
• computerization of the manufacturing support systems.

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 Automated Manufacturing Systems

Automated manufacturing systems operate in the factory on the

physical product.
They perform operations such as processing, assembly,
inspection, or material handling, in some cases accomplishing
more than one of these operations in the same system.
They are called automated because they perform their
operations with a reduced level of human participation
compared with the corresponding manual process.
Automated manufacturing systems can be classified into three
basic types
(1) fixed automation,
(2) programmable automation, and
(3) flexible automation.

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Automated Manufacturing Systems

Fixed Automation. Fixed automation is a system in which the

sequence of processing (or assembly) operations is fixed
by the equipment configuration.
Programmable Automation. In programmable automation, the
production equipment is designed with the capability to
change the sequence of operations to accommodate
different product configurations.
Flexible Automation. Flexible automation is an extension of
programmable automation.
The relative positions of the three types of automation for
different production volumes and product varieties are
depicted in Figure 1.7.
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Automated Manufacturing Systems

Figure 1.7 Three types of

automation relative to
production quantity and product
variety
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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.
The term 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 business-related functions needed in a manufacturing
firm.
Computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) denotes the use of
computer systems to perform functions related to
manufacturing engineering, such as process planning and
numerical control part programming.
The relationship between the physical activities and the
information-processing activities in our model is depicted in
Figure 1.8.

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Computerized Manufacturing Support
Systems

Figure 1.8 Model of

manufacturing showing
factory operations and the
information-processing
activities for manufacturing
support.

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 Manual Labor In Production Systems

Is there a place for manual labour in the modern production

system?
Even in a highly automated production system, humans are
still a necessary component of the manufacturing
enterprise.
(1) manual labour in factory operations and
(2) labour in the manufacturing support systems.
A number of situations can be listed in which manual labour
is usually preferred over automation:
Task is technologically too difficult to automate

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Manual Labor In Production Systems

Reasons for the difficulty include:

(1) problems with physical access to the work location,
(2) adjustments required in the task,
(3) manual dexterity requirements, and
(4) demands on hand-eye coordination
Short product life cycle.
Customized product
To cope with ups and downs in demand.
To reduce risk of product failure

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Manual Labor In Production Systems

Even if all of the manufacturing systems in the factory are

automated, there will still be a need for the following kinds
of work to be performed:
Equipment maintenance
Programming and computer operation
Engineering project work
Plant management

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Automation Principles and Strategies

A certain caution and respect must be observed in applying

automation technologies.
In this section, we offer three approaches for dealing with
automation projects:
(1) USA Principle,
(2) Ten Strategies for Automation and Production
Systems, and
(3) Automation Migration Strategy

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 USA Principle

• The USA Principle is a common sense approach to

automation projects.
• USA stands for:
• Understand the existing process
• Simplify the process
• Automate the process.

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 Ten Strategies for Automation and
Production Systems

• The following ten strategies provide a road map to search for

these improvements.
1. Specialization of operations.
2. Combined operations
3. Simultaneous operations
4. Integration of operations
5. Increased flexibility
6. Improved material handling and storage
7. On-line inspection
8. Process control and optimisation.
9. Plant operations control
10. Computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM).

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 Automation Migration Strategy

• Many companies have an automation migration strategy,

that is, a formalized plan for evolving the manufacturing
systems used to produce new products as demand grows.
• A typical automation migration strategy is the following:
• Phase 1: Manual production using single-station manned
cells operating independently
• Phase 2: Automated production using single-station
automated cells operating independently
• Phase 3: Automated integrated production using a multi-
station automated system with serial operations and
automated transfer of work units between stations.
• This strategy is illustrated in Figure 1.9.

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Automation Migration Strategy

Figure 1.9 A typical automation migration strategy

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Manufacturing Systems in the
Production System

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 Manufacturing System Defined
• 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
• 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

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Examples of Manufacturing Systems

Single-station cells
Machine clusters
Manual assembly lines
Automated transfer lines
Automated assembly systems
Machine cells (cellular manufacturing)
Flexible manufacturing systems

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Components of a Manufacturing System

1. Production machines
2. Material handling system
3. Computer system to coordinate and/or control the
preceding components
4. Human workers to operate and manage the system

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Production Machines
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:
1. Manually operated machines are controlled or
supervised by a human worker
2. Semi-automated machines perform a portion of the
work cycle under some form of program control, and
a worker tends to machine the rest of the cycle
3. Fully automated machines operate for extended
periods of time with no human attention

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 Production 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.

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 Production 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

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Production Machines

Machine operates for extended periods (longer than one

work cycle) without worker attention

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 Material Handling System

• In most manufacturing systems that process or

assemble discrete parts and products, the following
material handling functions must be provided:
1. Loading work units at each station
2. Positioning work units at each station
3. Unloading work units at each station
4. Transporting work units between stations in multi-
station systems
5. Temporary storage of work units

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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 exemplify this category
2. Variable routing
Work units are moved through a variety of different
station sequences
Most job shops exemplify this category

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(a) Fixed Routing and
(b) Variable Routing
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Computer Control System

• Typical computer functions in a manufacturing system:

Communicate instructions to workers
Download part programs to computer-controlled machines
Control material handling system
Schedule production
Failure diagnosis when malfunctions occur
Safety monitoring
Quality control
Operations management

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Classification of Manufacturing Systems

Factors that define and distinguish manufacturing systems:

1. Types of operations
2. Number of workstations
3. System layout
4. Automation and manning level
5. Part or product variety

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Types of Operations Performed

Processing versus assembly operations

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

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Number of Workstations
Convenient measure of the size of the system
Let n = number of workstations
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

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System Layout

Applies mainly to multi-station systems

Fixed routing vs. variable routing
In systems with fixed routing, workstations are usually arranged
linearly
In systems with variable routing, a variety of layouts are
possible
System layout is an important factor in determining the most
appropriate type of material handling system

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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
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

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 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
2. Batch-model case - different parts or products are produced
by the system, but they are produced in batches because
changeovers are required
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

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Three Cases of Product Variety in
Manufacturing Systems

(a) Single-model case, (b) batch model case, and (c)

mixed-model case

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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

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Manufacturing Systems for Medium or
High Product Complexity

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Manufacturing Systems for Low Product
Complexity

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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

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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

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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

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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

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