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Scientific problems of flexible manufacturing systems development and methods for their resolution
Robotics & Computer-Integrated Manufacturing, Vol. 4, No. 1/2, p. 139, 1988 Printed in Great Britain
0736-5845/88 $3.00 + 0.00 Pergamon Press plc
• Paper
SCIENTIFIC PROBLEMS OF FLEXIBLE MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT AND METHODS FOR THEIR RESOLUTION Y. M. SOLOMENTSEV Mostankin, Vadkowsky Pereulok, 101472 Moscow, U.S.S.R.
There exist many reasons for the necessity of improving the design time and quality of machine-tool enterprises. First is the need for production of a wide variety of advanced and modernized machines. Another reason lies in the desire for simultaneous or subsequent production of several modifications of a machine. Finally, there is the need for efficient and effective utilization of the capital equipment used in the production process. There is only one way to speed the design of machine systems without sacrificing quality, technology and economy. The solution lies in the automation of design activities using computer technology. When designing a flexible manufacturing system (FMS), it is first of all necessary to conduct predesign investigations. We shall call this process the computer-aided design (CAD) stage of predesign investigations. At this stage, the production processes are analyzed; the necessary production subdivisions determined; and the connections between them established. The extent to which problems are met and solved depends on the operations at this stage. For this reason, great attention must be paid to pre-design studies. FMS is comprised of a set of different functional areas, each directed to its own task. A technological process developed in conjunction with equipment design allows for the formulation of
other functional areas such as storage, tooling, transport and control. Meeting each of these tasks requires a CAS system. The structure and functions of an FMS dictate the design of its information subsystem. The components of this information system are: equipment accuracy and diagnostic control, cutting-tool state control, technological process control, product quality control and adaptive control of FMS equipment. An important aspect of the stage involves the design of the transport-storage system, the tooling system, NC system and others. As a set of computer-controlled facilities FMS should function as a distributed-operation system. The primary objectives of this system should be the selection of the control computers, local network organizations and software support. FMS can be represented as a physical or an algebraic system. In the latter case, a suitable representation is (A, R, O) where A denotes the elements, O the operations, and R the relations. This representation, together with an algebraic method, allows for the enumeration of all possible FMS structures. Furthermore, after the consideration of certain constraints, it also allows for the evaluation of the resulting structures, and the selection of the most appropriate one. The proposed methodology provides a framework for approaching all aspects of FMS design, and provides a basis for developing solutions to problems.
139
0736-5845/88 $3.00 + 0.00 Pergamon Press plc
• Paper
SCIENTIFIC PROBLEMS OF FLEXIBLE MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT AND METHODS FOR THEIR RESOLUTION Y. M. SOLOMENTSEV Mostankin, Vadkowsky Pereulok, 101472 Moscow, U.S.S.R.
There exist many reasons for the necessity of improving the design time and quality of machine-tool enterprises. First is the need for production of a wide variety of advanced and modernized machines. Another reason lies in the desire for simultaneous or subsequent production of several modifications of a machine. Finally, there is the need for efficient and effective utilization of the capital equipment used in the production process. There is only one way to speed the design of machine systems without sacrificing quality, technology and economy. The solution lies in the automation of design activities using computer technology. When designing a flexible manufacturing system (FMS), it is first of all necessary to conduct predesign investigations. We shall call this process the computer-aided design (CAD) stage of predesign investigations. At this stage, the production processes are analyzed; the necessary production subdivisions determined; and the connections between them established. The extent to which problems are met and solved depends on the operations at this stage. For this reason, great attention must be paid to pre-design studies. FMS is comprised of a set of different functional areas, each directed to its own task. A technological process developed in conjunction with equipment design allows for the formulation of
other functional areas such as storage, tooling, transport and control. Meeting each of these tasks requires a CAS system. The structure and functions of an FMS dictate the design of its information subsystem. The components of this information system are: equipment accuracy and diagnostic control, cutting-tool state control, technological process control, product quality control and adaptive control of FMS equipment. An important aspect of the stage involves the design of the transport-storage system, the tooling system, NC system and others. As a set of computer-controlled facilities FMS should function as a distributed-operation system. The primary objectives of this system should be the selection of the control computers, local network organizations and software support. FMS can be represented as a physical or an algebraic system. In the latter case, a suitable representation is (A, R, O) where A denotes the elements, O the operations, and R the relations. This representation, together with an algebraic method, allows for the enumeration of all possible FMS structures. Furthermore, after the consideration of certain constraints, it also allows for the evaluation of the resulting structures, and the selection of the most appropriate one. The proposed methodology provides a framework for approaching all aspects of FMS design, and provides a basis for developing solutions to problems.
139