Unit 1 Introduction To Automation
Unit 1 Introduction To Automation
Unit 1 Introduction To Automation
Introduction:
The preceding section leads one to conclude that automation is not always the right answer for
a given production situation. A certain caution and respect must be observed in applying
automation technologies. This section offers three approaches for dealing with automation
projects:1 (1) the USA Principle, (2) Ten Strategies for Automation and Process Improvement,
and (3) an Automation Migration Strategy
1) The USA Principle
The USA Principle is a commonsense approach to automation and process
improvement projects. Similar procedures have been suggested in the manufacturing and
automation trade literature, but none has a more captivating title than this one. USA stands for
(1) understanding the existing process, (2) simplify the process, and (3) automate the process.
A statement of the USA Principle appeared in an article published by the American Production
and Inventory Control Society [5]. The article is concerned with implementing enterprise
resource planning (ERP, Section 25.7), but the USA approach is so general that it is applicable
to nearly any automation project. Going through each step of the procedure for an automation
project may in fact reveal that simplifying the process is sufficient and automation is not
necessary.
Understand the Existing Process. The first step in the USA approach is to comprehend the
current process in all of its details. What are the inputs? What are the outputs? What exactly
happens to the work unit2 between input and output? What is the function of the process? How
does it add value to the product? What are the upstream and downstream operations in the
production sequence, and can they be combined with the process under consideration?
Some of the traditional industrial engineering charting tools used in methods analysis are
useful in this regard, such as the operation chart and the flow process chart [3]. Application of
these tools to the existing process provides a model of the process that can be analyzed and
searched for weaknesses (and strengths). The number of steps in the process, the number and
placement of inspections, the number of moves and delays experienced by the work unit, and
the time spent in storage can be ascertained by these charting techniques.
Mathematical models of the process may also be useful to indicate relationships
between input parameters and output variables. What are the important output variables? How
are these output variables affected by inputs to the process, such as raw material properties,
process settings, operating parameters, and environmental conditions? This information may be
valuable in identifying what output variables need to be measured for feedback purposes and in
formulating algorithms for automatic process control.
Simplify the Process. Once the existing process is understood, then the search begins for ways
to simplify. This often involves a checklist of questions about the existing process. What is the
purpose of this step or this transport? Is the step necessary? Can it be eliminated? Does it use
the most appropriate technology? How can it be simplified? Are there unnecessary steps in the
process that might be eliminated without detracting from function?
Some of the ten strategies for automation and process improvement (Section 1.4.2) can
help simplify the process. Can steps be combined? Can steps be performed simultaneously?
Can steps be integrated into a manually operated production line?
Automate the Process. Once the process has been reduced to its simplest form, then
automation can be considered. The possible forms of automation include those listed in the ten
strategies discussed in the following section. An automation migration strategy (such as the one
in Section 1.4.3) might be implemented for a new product that has not yet proven itself.
Chapter Contents
17.1 Fundamentals of Automated Assembly Systems
17.1.1 System Configurations
17.1.2 Parts Delivery at Workstations
17.1.3 Applications
17.2 Analysis of Automated Assembly Systems
17.2.1 Parts Delivery System at Workstations
17.2.2 Multistation Assembly Machines
17.2.3 Single-Station Assembly Machines
17.2.4 Partial Automation
17.2.5 What the Equations Tell Us
The term automated assembly refers to mechanized and automated devices that perform
various assembly tasks in an assembly line or cell. Much progress has been made in the
technology of assembly automation in recent years. Some of this progress has been mo-
tivated by advances in the field of robotics. Industrial robots are sometimes used as com-
ponents in automated assembly systems (Chapter 8). In this chapter, automated assembly
is discussed as a distinct field of automation. Although the manual assembly methods
described in Chapter 15 will be used for many years into the future, there are significant
opportunities for productivity gains in the use of automated methods.
Like the transfer lines discussed in the preceding chapter, automated assembly sys-
tems are usually included in the category of fixed automation. Most automated assembly
systems are designed to perform a fixed sequence of assembly steps on a specific product.
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17.1.1 System Configurations
Automated assembly systems can be classified according to physical configuration. The prin-
cipal configurations, illustrated in Figure 17.1, are (a) in-line assembly machine, (b) dial-type
assembly machine, (c) carousel assembly system, and (d) single-station assembly machine.
The in-line assembly machine, Figure 17.1(a), is a series of automatic workstations
located along an in-line transfer system. It is the assembly version of the machining transfer
line. Synchronous and asynchronous transfer systems are the common means of transport-
ing base parts from station to station with the in-line configuration.
Asby
y Aut
sb
A ut
A ut
sb
A
Asby Asby Asby Asby Asby Asby
y
Starting Completed Starting A
base parts Aut Aut Aut Aut Aut Aut assemblies base parts
Asby
Aut
Sta Sta Sta Sta Sta Sta
1 2 3 n–2 n–1 n y
sb
(a) A ut
Asby A
Aut
Completed
assemblies
(b)
y
sb Asby
Asby Asby Asby Asby Asby A ut Starting Completed
Aut Aut Aut Aut Aut A base parts Aut assemblies
Completed
assemblies (d)
(c)
Figure 17.1 Types of automated assembly systems: (a) in-line, (b) dial-type, (c) carousel,
and (d) single station.
In the typical application of the dial-type machine, Figure 17.1(b), base parts are loaded
onto fixtures or nests attached to the circular dial. Components are added and/or joined to
the base part at the various workstations located around the periphery of the dial. The dial-
indexing machine operates with a synchronous or intermittent motion, in which the cycle
consists of the service time plus indexing time. Dial-type assembly machines are sometimes
designed to use a continuous rather than intermittent motion. This is common in beverage
bottling and canning plants, but not in mechanical and electronics assembly.
The operation of dial-type and in-line assembly systems is similar to the operation
of their counterparts for processing operations described in Section 16.1.1, except that
assembly operations are performed. For synchronous transfer of work between stations,
the ideal cycle time equals the operation time at the slowest station plus the transfer time
between stations. The production rate, at 100% uptime, is the reciprocal of the ideal cycle
time. Owing to part jams at the workstations and other malfunctions, the system will al-
ways operate at less than 100% uptime.
As seen in Figure 17.1(c), the carousel assembly system represents a hybrid between
the circular work flow of the dial-type assembly machine and the straight work flow of the
in-line system. The carousel configuration can be operated with continuous, synchronous,
or asynchronous transfer mechanisms to move the work around the carousel. Carousels
with asynchronous transfer of work are often used in partially automated assembly sys-
tems (Section 17.2.4).
In the single-station assembly machine, Figure 17.1(d), assembly operations are per-
formed on a base part at a single location. The typical operating cycle involves the place-
ment of the base part at a stationary position in the workstation, the addition of components
to the base, and finally the removal of the completed assembly from the station. An impor-
tant application of single-station assembly is the component placement machine, widely
used in the electronics industry to populate components onto printed circuit boards. For
mechanical assemblies, the single-station cell is sometimes selected as the configuration for
robotic assembly applications. Parts are fed into the single station, and the robot adds them
to the base part and performs the fastening operations. Compared with the other three
system types, the cycle time is longer in a single-station assembly system because all of the
assembly tasks are performed sequentially instead of simultaneously. Hence, production
rates are inherently slower. Single-station assembly systems are analyzed in Section 17.2.3.
1. Hopper. This is the container into which the components are loaded at the worksta-
tion. A separate hopper is used for each component type. The components are usu-
ally loaded into the hopper in bulk. This means that the parts are randomly oriented
in the hopper.
2. Parts feeder. This is a mechanism that removes the components from the hopper
one at a time for delivery to the assembly work head. The hopper and parts feeder
are often combined into one operating mechanism. A vibratory bowl feeder, pic-
tured in Figure 17.2, is a very common example of the hopper-feeder combination.
Feed track
Outlet
Bowl
Base
Support feet
Figure 17.3 (a) Selector and (b) orientor devices used with
parts feeders in automated assembly systems.
3. Selector and/or orientor. These elements of the delivery system establish the proper
orientation of the components for the assembly work head. A selector is a device
that acts as a filter, permitting only parts in the correct orientation to pass through.
Incorrectly oriented parts are rejected back into the hopper. An orientor is a device
that allows properly oriented parts to pass through, and reorients parts that are not
properly oriented initially. Several selector and orientor schemes are illustrated in
Figure 17.3. Selector and orientor devices are often combined and incorporated into
one hopper-feeder system.
4. Feed track. The preceding elements of the delivery system are usually separated
from the assembly work head by a certain distance. A feed track moves the com-
ponents from the hopper and parts feeder to the location of the assembly work
head, maintaining proper orientation of the parts during the transfer. There are
two general categories of feed tracks: gravity and powered. Gravity feed tracks
are most common. In this type, the hopper and parts feeder are located at an
elevation above that of the work head. Gravity is used to deliver the components
to the work head. The powered feed track uses vibratory action, air pressure, or
other means to force the parts to travel along the feed track toward the assembly
work head.
5. Escapement and placement device. The escapement removes components from the
feed track at time intervals that are consistent with the cycle time of the assembly
work head. The placement device physically places the component in the correct
location at the workstation for the assembly operation. These elements are some-
times combined into a single operating mechanism. In other cases, they are two
separate devices. Several types of escapement and placement devices are pictured
in Figure 17.4.
Rotary indexing
table Stack of parts
Feed track
Feed track
Empty nest
Flow of
parts
Empty nest Rotary indexing
table
(a) (b)
Pick-and-place
device
Parts Feed
track
Work carriers
From
feeder
(c)
(d)
Work
carriers
From feeder
Work carriers
Pick-and-place
device
(e)
Figure 17.4 Various escapement and placement devices used in automated assembly
systems: (a) and (b) horizontal and vertical devices for placement of parts onto dial-
indexing table; (c) escapement of rivet-shaped parts actuated by work carriers; (d) and
(e) two types of pick-and-place mechanisms that use suction cups to pick up parts.
The hardware elements of the parts delivery system are illustrated schematically
in Figure 17.5. A parts selector is illustrated in the diagram. Improperly oriented parts
are returned to the hopper. In the case of a parts orientor, improperly oriented parts are
reoriented and proceed to the feed track. A more detailed description of the various ele-
ments of the delivery system is provided in Boothroyd, Poli, and Murch [3].
Parts improperly
oriented fed
back into hopper
Selector
Hopper
Work carrier
Escapement
and
placement
17.1.3 Applications
Automated assembly systems are used to produce a wide variety of products and subas-
semblies. Table 17.1 presents a list of typical products made by automated assembly.
Table 17.2 provides a representative list of assembly processes that are performed
on automated assembly machines. It should be noted that certain assembly processes are
more suitable for automation than others. For example, threaded fasteners (screws, bolts,
and nuts), although common in manual assembly, are a challenging assembly method to
automate. This issue is discussed in Chapter 24, which also provides some guidelines for
designing products for automated assembly.