DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

GOVERNMENT POLYTECHNIC PURNEA

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

CAD
UNIT – 4

GROUP TECHNOLOGY

FACULTY
MD SHADAB REZA
 GROUP TECHNOLOGY
Group Technology is a manufacturing technique
in which similar parts are identified and grouped
together to take the advantage of their similarities
in design and production.
In group technology parts with similar geometry,
manufacturing process, and/or functions are
manufactured in a single location using a small
number of machines or processes.
It is based on the general principle that many
problems are similar, and that by grouping similar
problems, a single solution to a set of problems can
be found, which saves time, cost and effort.
• The Objectives of Group Technology are to
Reduce average lot size, Increase part variety,
Increase variety of materials, Achieve close
tolerance, Improve scheduling, Reduce tooling,
Increase equipment utilization etc.
 The benefits of group technology are :
• Reduction in setting up times cost and lot size.
• Reduction in material handling costs.
• Reduction in production planning cost.
• Output is improved due to improved resource
utilization.
• Improved product quality and less scrap.
• Smaller variety of tools, jigs and fixtures.
• Robots can be easily used for material handling.
 PART FAMILIES
A part family is a group of parts having similar
geometry and/or requiring a similar production
process or the processing steps used in their
manufacturing. 
Part families are the most important feature of
group technology.
Similarities among parts allow them to be classified
into part families and In each part family, the
processing steps are similar.
The group of machineries used to process an
individual part family is known as a machine cell
that specialize in production of certain part families.
 Methods to form Part Families
• There are three methods that can be used to
form part families:
I. Manual visual inspection
II. Production flow analysis (PFA)
III.Part Classification and coding system
I. Manual visual inspection- It involves
arranging a set of parts into groups by
visually inspecting the physical
characteristics of the parts by using best
judgment to group parts into appropriate
part families.
II. Production Flow Analysis - PFA is a method
of identifying part families and associated
machine tool grouping by analyzing the route
sheets for parts produced in a given shop.
• It group together the parts that have similar
operation sequences and machine routings.
III. Parts Classification And Coding- Identifying
Similarities And Differences Among Parts And
classifying Them By Means Of A Coding method.
• Large manufacturing system can be decomposed
into smaller subsystems of part families based on
similarities in part.
 PARTS CLASSIFICATION AND CODING
In parts classification and coding, similarities
among parts are identified, and these similarities
are related in a coding system.
Coding: assignment of a symbol (or a set of
symbols) to represent information.
Classification: a procedure that is used to
separate a large group of objects into separate sub-
groups.
Parts classification and coding requires
examination and analysis of the design and/or
manufacturing attributes of each part.
Part classification as per Attributes
1. Part design attributes
2. Part manufacturing attributes
3. Both design and manufacturing attributes
 Part design attributes – Major dimensions,
Minor dimensions, Basic external shape, Basic
internal shape, Length/diameter ratio, Material
type, Part function , Tolerances , Surface finish
etc
 Part manufacturing attributes - Major
process , Minor process, Operation sequence,
Batch size, Annual production, Machine tools,
Cutting tools, Material type etc.
 Coding methods- Coding methods
are used to classify the parts into part families.
Coding refers to the process of assigning
symbols to the parts.
 The symbols represent design attributes of
parts or manufacturing features of part families.
 Three structures used in classification
and coding schemes are as follows;
I. Monocode or hierarchical code
II. Polycode or chain type
III.Hybrid or mixed code
MONOCODE OR HIERARCHICAL CODE
In this type of code, the meaning of each code symbol is
dependent on the meaning of the previous code; that is,
each character amplifies the information of the previous
code.
Such a coding system can be depicted using a tree structure.
Consider all parts to be classified in terms of a feature:
rotational symmetry.
1 == Non-rotational (prismatic) parts
2 == Rotational parts.
Within these groups, we can further classify by feature:
presence of hole(s).
0 == No holes
1 == Has holes
 POLYCODE OR CHAIN TYPE
In this method the code symbols are independent
of each symbol in the sequence which is fixed and
not depend on the preceding digit
Each digit in specific location of the code
describes a unique property of the work piece.
It is easy to learn and useful in manufacturing
situations where the manufacturing process have
to be described.
The length of a Polycode may become excessive
because of its unlimited combinational features.
 HYBRID OR MIXED CODE
It is the mixture of both monocode and
polycode systems.
Mixed code having the advantages of both
systems.
Most coding systems use this code
structure, A code created by this manner
would be relatively more compact than a
pure polycode while retaining the ability to
easily identify parts with specific
characteristics.
 PART CLASSIFICATION AND CODING
SYSTEMS
Part classification and coding systems
which are widely used in manufacturing
field for GT are as follow:
1. OPTIZ system
2. MICLASS system
3. KK-3 system
3. CODE system
4. The DCLASS System
 OPTIZ SYSTEM
This system was developed by H. Opitz of the
University of Aachen in Germany.
It the most frequently used, of the parts
classification and coding systems.
 It provides a basic framework for understanding
the classification and coding process .
It can be applied to machined parts, non-
machined parts and purchased parts.
It considers both design and manufacturing
information.
• The Opitz coding scheme uses the following digit
sequence:
Form Supplementary Secondary
code code code
12345                     6789         ABCD
•features relevant to part geometry and part design
•part class (rotational/non-rotational), external
shape, internal shape, plane surface features and
machining, auxiliary features (off-axis holes, gear
teeth etc.).
• information relevant to manufacturing -
Dimensions, Material, Original shape of raw stock,
and Accuracy
•Production processes and production sequences
COMPUTER-AIDED PROCESS PLANNING (CAPP)
Process planning is defined as an act of preparing
processing documents for the manufacturing of a
piece, part or an assembly, etc.
If process planning is done by using a computer it is
called Computer-Aided Process Planning(CAPP).
CAPP is a technique to produce a design that needed
for manufacturing and to give a complete information
to manufacture a product.
This is widely used due to the quick response and
more flexibility in manufacturing plants.
This used to set standard timings in operation and
helps in improving the process planning.
 There are two types of CAPP systems:
1. Retrieval type of CAPP system.
2. Generative CAPP system.
1. Retrieval type of CAPP system - A retrieval
CAPP system, also called a variant
CAPP system, is based on the principles of
group technology (GT) and parts classification
and coding.
• One of the commercially available retrieval
CAPP systems is MultiCapp.
• In this type of CAPP, a standard process plan
(route sheet) is stored in computer files for each
part code number.
• The standard route sheets are based on current
part routings in use in the factory or on an
ideal process plan that has been prepared for
each family.
• Before the system can be used for process
planning, a significant amount of information
must be compiled and entered into the CAPP
data files.
• This is called the "preparatory phase:‘ and It
consists of the following steps:
(1) selecting an appropriate classification and
coding scheme for the company.
(2) forming part families for the parts produced by
the company.
(3) preparing standard process plans for the part
families.
• steps (2) and (3) continue as new parts are
designed and added to the company's design data
base.
• After the preparatory phase has been completed,
the system is ready for use, For a new component for
which the process plan is to be determined. the first
step is to derive the GT code number for the part.
• With this code number, a search is made of the
part family file to determine if a standard route
sheet exists for the given part code.
• If the file contains a process plan for the part it is
retrieved from the database.
(hence the word "retrieval" for this CAPP system)
and displayed for the user.
• The standard process plan is examined to
determine whether any modifications are necessary.
• If the file does not contain a standard process plan
for the given code number, the user may search the
computer file for a similar or related code number
for which a standard route sheer does exist.
• Either by editing an existing process plan, or by
starting from scratch, the user prepares the route
sheet for the new part.
• This route sheet becomes the standard process
plan for the new part code number.
2. Generative CAPP system - Generative CAPP
systems represent an alternative approach to
automated process planning.
• Instead of retrieving and editing an existing plan
stored in a computer data base, a generative system
creates the process plan based on logical
procedures similar to the procedures a human
planner would use.
• In a fully generative CAPP system, the process
sequence is planned without human assistance and
without a set of predefined standard plans.
•Designing a generative CAPP system is usually
considered as a part of the field of expert systems, a
branch of artificial intelligence.
• An expert system is a computer program that is
capable of solving complex problems that normally
require a human with years of education and
experience. 
• There are several things required in a fully
generative process planning system.
• First, the technical knowledge of manufacturing
and the logic used by successful process planners
must be captured and coded into a computer
program.
• In an expert system applied to process planning,
the knowledge and logic of the human process
planners is integrated into a "knowledge base’’.
• The generative CAPP system then uses that
knowledge base to solve process planning problems
i.e., create route sheets.
• The second requirement is a computer-
compatible description of the part to be produced.
• This description contains all of the relevant data
and information  needed to plan the process
sequence, Two possible ways of providing this
description are:
(l) the geometric model of the part that is
developed on a CAD system during product design
(2) a GT code number of the part that defines the
part features in significant detail.
• Third requirement is the capability to apply the
process knowledge and planning logic stored in the
knowledge base to a given part description.
• The CAPP system uses its knowledge base to solve
a specific problem i:e planning the process for a
new part.
• This problem-solving procedure is referred to as
the "inference engine’ in the terminology of expert
systems.
• By using its knowledge base and inference engine,
the CAPP system creates a new process plan for
each new part.