Optimization of Flexible Manufacturing Systems Using IoT

BOHRInternationalJournalofEngineering 2022,Vol.1,No.1,pp.39–43 https://doi.org/10.54646/bije.008 www.bohrpub.com

OptimizationofFlexibleManufacturingSystemsUsingIoT

V.Kandavel∗ ,V.PreethiandJohnpeterSoosairaj

DepartmentofMechanicalEngineering,SSMInstituteofEngineeringandTechnology, Dindigul,India

∗

Correspondingauthor:vkvel3467@gmail.com

Abstract. Aflexiblemanufacturingsystem(FMS)isanautomatedmaterialhandlingandintegratedworkstation thatiscomputer-controlledandusedfortheautomaticrandomprocessingofpalletizedparts.Toassessthe effectivenessoftheFMSdesignbeforedeployments,computersimulationisacost-effectivemethod.Itiscrucialto testthissimulationsoftwarebeforeusagesincetheyhavesuchaclearinfluenceontheFMSdecision-makingprocess. AFMSisacomplicated,integratedsystemthatincludesacentralcomputernumericalcontrolmachiningcenterand anautomatedmaterialmanagementsystem.ThesoledrawbackofFMSisitsgreaterinitialcostandreplacement costifitdoesnotfunctionproperly.Therefore,itisimportanttoanalyzeFMSbeforeinstallingit.Theuseof Industry4.0technologieshasexpandedtheflexibilityoftheentiremanufacturingsystem.Thedevelopmentofthese technologies,whichincludetheInternetofThings(IoT),bigdata,artificialintelligence(AI),additivemanufacturing (AM),sophisticatedrobotics,virtualreality,cloudcomputing,simulation,andothers,hasincreasedtheindustrial system’sadaptability.

Keywords: Flexibletransferlines,flexiblemanufacturingcells(FMC),InternetofThings(IoT),andFlexible ManufacturingSystem.

INTRODUCTION

Theavailabilityofseveralworkstationsatwhichgeneric processesarecarriedoutdefinesflexiblemanufacturing systems(FMS).Thissystem’sflexibilityisrealizedthrough anetworkofprogrammabletransportationthatconnects theworkstationsandanadvancedcontrolsystemthat coordinatestheoperationsoftheworkstationsandtransportsystemswhilekeepingtrackofthestatusofthe ongoingjobs.Ingeneral,innovationsfascinatepeople, especiallyiftheresultscanbenefitthem.Theglobalmarketplaceisimpatientandprice-sensitive.

Duetodailyfluctuationsinclientdemandforawide rangeofgoodswitheightpre-specifiedqualityatlower prices,Indianbusinessrequiresflexibleproductionfacilitiestocompeteintoday’sglobalmarketincorporating innovativeproductiontechnologieslikeFMS,JIT,CAD, andCAM,whichhaveenormouspotential.Themany independentmanufacturingsystemsthatwerediscussed throughoutthisarticlemaybecombinedinIndiatocreatea single,large-scalesysteminwhichtheproductionofparts ismanagedwiththeassistanceofacentralcomputerto

satisfythedailychangesinconsumerexpectations.Sucha productionsystemhasthebenefitofbeingveryflexiblein termsofthelittleeffortandrapidturnaroundtimeneeded tomakeanewproduct;forthisreason,itisreferredto asaFMS.

THEFMSCONCEPT

TheFMSoffersbatchproductionwiththeefficiencyof massmanufacturing.Whencomponentsareproducedin lotsoffewtomorethan50,withatotalyearlydemand oflessthan,say,100,000units,itisreferredtoasbatch production.Whengreateryearlyproductionratesare needed,massmanufacturingisused,andthus,theusage ofspecializedmachinerymightbejustified.Itmaycost100 timesasmuchtocreateasingleunitusinggeneral-purpose machinetoolsasitdoestoproducetheidenticalitem usingthemosteffectivemassproductiontechniques.It shouldbeabletolowerthecostofcreatingcomponentsin smallandmediumquantitiesbyutilizingFMStechnology. AdvancedFMSwillcontainahigh-powerlaserstation incorporatedintotheproductionline;thelaserwillbeused

mainlyforheattreatment,sheetmetalcutting,drilling,and welding.Atpresent,lasertreatmentofmaterialswitha CO2 laserinthe5–15kWrangeisbecomingmorepopular intheindustry.ThecentralcomputerofanadvancedFMS willcontainmachiningdatatoprovidetherecommended cuttingparameterstothemachinetoolsintheplant,based onaselectedtool,workpiecematerial,anduponmaximizationoftheproductionrateintheentireplant.

Differentmanufacturingequipmentwithsensing,identification,processing,communication,actuation,andnetworkingcapabilitiescanbeconnectedthroughtheInternet ofThings(IoT).TheIoTcanbeutilizedforindustrial applicationsandsmartmanufacturingthroughnetwork controlandmanagementofmanufacturingequipment, assetandsituationmanagement,ormanufacturingprocess control.IntelligentIoTsolutionsallowforquickproduct development,productoptimization,andquickreactionto marketdemands.

TheIoTincludesdigitalcontrolsystemsthatautomate processcontrols,operatortools,andserviceinformation systemsthatimproveplantsafetyandsecurity.Utilizing measurements,statisticalanalysis,andpredictivemaintenance,IoTcanalsobeusedinassetmanagementto increasereliability.Energyoptimizationismadepossible throughtheintegrationofindustrialmanagementsystems withsmartgrids.Networkedsensorsareusedformeasurements,automatedcontrols,plantoptimization,healthand safetymanagement,andotherpurposes.IoTisemployed forproceduresintheindustrializationofbuildingsinadditiontonormalmanufacturing.

AdvancedManufacturingSystems

Whilethevariousevolutionarystagesinthedevelopment ofcomputernumericalcontrol(CNC)machinesprovided ameansforeffectivepartproduction,overtimeandwith rapiddevelopmentsinelectronics,machinetooltechnologyhasgraduatedfromtheconceptofstandalonemachine toolstosystem-orientedmanufacturing.Thisresultedin theintroductionofflexiblemanufacturingcell(FMC), FMS,andcomputer-integratedmanufacturing.

Thus,theemphasishasshiftedfrommechanicalhardwareinthecaseofconventionalmanufacturingtoa

Figure2. MajorconstituentsofanFMS.

Figure1. Value-wisecontentsofmechanicalandelectronicsoftwareandhardwareindifferentmanufacturingfacilities.

Figure3. IntegrationofvariousconstituentsofanFMS.

combinationofmechanicalandelectronicsoftwareand hardware,whichnowaccountsfor30–50%ofthevalueof modernmanufacturingsystems.

AnFMC/FMSistypicallyamanufacturingcellorsystemmadeupofoneormoreCNCmachinesconnectedby anautomatedmaterialhandlingsystem,allofwhichare controlledbyacentralcomputer.Theremayalsobeadditionalauxiliarysubsystems,likecomponentloadingand unloadingstations,automatictoolhandlingsystems,wash stations,componentmeasuringapparatuses,andtoolpresetters.Figure 2 showsthemajorconstituentsofanFMS, andFigure 3 givestheintegrationofvariousconstituents ofanFMS.

Factorymanagersmayautomaticallygatherandevaluatedatausingsmartmanufacturingtomakebetterdecisionsandmaximizeproduction.IoTconnectivitysolutions installedatthefactoryleveltransmitdatafromsensors andmachinestothecloud.Thesedataareexamined, mergedwithrelevantinformation,andthendisseminated torelevantpartieswithauthorization.

BenefitsofanFMS

• Balancedoutput

• Bettercontroloverproduction • Easiertoexpand

• Fewerrejections

• Flexibilitytochangepartvariety

• Highproductquality

• Highermachineutilization

• Higherproductivity

• Just-in-timemanufacturing

• Minimallymannedoperation

• Reducedcycletime

• Reducedworkinprocessandinventory

TRENDSINTHEADOPTIONOFFMS

FMSwasadoptedintheUSAwaybackin1967,butits widespreadapplicationhasbeenratherslow.In1981,the worldpopulationofFMSwasestimatedtobeonly115, with25FMSinstallationseachintheUSA,WesternEurope, and40inJapan.Butby1986,thepopulationhadgrownto over200;anindustry-wiseapplicationofFMSisgivenin Figure 4

Thus,withdevelopmentovertime,themanufacturing industrynowhasaspectrumofproductionalternatives tochoosefromdependingonpartvarietyandproduction volume.Theproductionofalimitedvarietyofpartsin highvolume,whichistypicalofautomobileindustries,is servedbytransferlines.Whenthevolumeislarge,buta varietyofpartsareinserted,thetransferlineisdesigned withsomebuilt-inflexibilitytohandletheproduction requirement.FMSareidealfortheproductionoflargepart tools,industrialmachinery,andgeneralengineering.

Industriesmanufacturingitemssuchastractors,earthmovingequipment,agriculturemachinery,anddefenserelatedcomponentshaveproductionrequirementsofa fairlylargevolumeandawidervarietyofparts.This needisbeingmetbywhatmaybetermedasdesigned FMS/FMC,wherethebasicproductionequipmentisflexible,butthevolumeishighenoughtodedicateindividual machinestospecificparts.

Industriesseeanincreaseinproductivityduringproduct productionwhenthistechnologyisusedproperly.Manufacturingisdonemorecheaplyandwithfewermistakes.

Tofullybenefithumanity,thereisstillmuchworktobe done.Ithasnumeroususesformonitoringproduction systemsinthemanufacturingandserviceindustries.By enablingincreasedperformance,thistechnologyexpands manufacturing’spotentialforinnovationandnewpossibilities.Themainelementsofthistechnologyaresoftware, hardware,andnetworkconnectivityfordatacollection andalteration.IoTfostersinnovativedisruptioninthe manufacturingsector.

StepwiseApproachtoFMS

Aleadingmachinetoolmanufacturerabroadhasoutlined astepwiseadoptionofanFMSforprismaticproduction,as detailedbelow.

Step1: Theusercangainexpertiseinpalletizingworkand processingamixedbatchofcomponentsonastandalone machinewithnamelessoperationcapabilities.

Step2: Performancein2daysisimprovedbytheadditionofarail-guidedvehicleandupto15palletstands. Thevarietyofcomponentsthatcanbehandledwithout operatorassistanceexpands,andthedurationofunnamed operationcanbeincreased.

Step3: Itispossibletoaddmachineswithupto15pallet standsapiece.Palletsarededicatedtocertainmachines atthislevel.Eachmachinehasadesignatedload/unload stationwheretheseoperationsareperformed.Inresponse tocommandsfromthevariousmachinecontrolsystems, therail-guidedvehiclemoves.

Step4: Thesamesystemhardwarespecificationsasinstep 3pluscontroloverseparatetransports.Now,anymachine maybeloadedwithanypallet.Ratherthanresponding tomachinerequestsinaqueueforthenextcomponent, thetransporteroperatesfollowingtheprioritiessetbythe operator.

Step5: Thecellmaybeextendedtoaccommodatemore machinesandsupportoperationslikeinspectionand washingwiththeinstallationofahostcomputer.Tofully utilizeautomatedmanufacturingtechnologies,encompassingallbusinessandengineeringoperationsleadingtocomputer-integratedproduction,ahostcomputer upgradesthesystem.

Step6: TheIoTistocollectandsharedataviaInternetconnectedmachinesandgadgets.Itisconnectedtoparticularidentificationnumbersorcodesthatcanbemanaged byeverydaygadgetslikecellphones,whichisverymuch usefulforthebeneficiariesofthehumanconcernworking inthatindustrialenvironment.

FlexibleManufacturingCells

Figure4. Industry-wiseapplicationofFMS.

AnFMCisthemostfundamentaltypeofFMSandis thereforethemostadaptable.Itismadeupofafew

general-purposeorspecializedCNCmachinetoolsconnectedtoautomatictoolandmaterialchanges.Centers arefrequentlythestartingpointforFMS,buttheycan beautomaticallymachinedbyFMCs.Aturningcenter withagantry,anunloadingsystem,andpalletsforstoring workpiecesandfinishedcomponentsiscommonlyknown asaflexibleturningcell.Theproductivityofthecellcan beincreasediftheturningcentercontainspost-process metrologytoolslikeRenishawprobesorinductivemeasuringtools,automatictoolchanges,toolmagazines,block tooling,automatictooloffsetmeasurement,andautomatic chuckchanges.Oneormorehorizontalmachiningcenters withmodularfixtures,numerouspallets,anadvanced toolmanagementsystem,anautomobiletoolchanger,an automobileheadchanger,anautomaticmagazinechange, robotsorothermaterialhandlingsystemstoaidinjob accesstothemachine,andoneormoreflexiblemachining cellsmakeupaflexiblemachiningcell.

FlexibleTransferLines

High-volumeproductionsaresuitedforflexibletransferlines(FTLs).Inahigh-volumemanufacturingsetting, apartcouldneedtogothroughnumerousoperations, eachofwhichisassignedtobecompletedonasingle machine.Asaresult,eachcomponenttravelsalonga setpaththroughthesystem.Typically,thematerialhandlingsystemconsistsofaconveyor,carousel,orpallet. Alongwithgeneral-purposemachines,itmayalsoinclude robots,special-purposemachines,andsomespecialized equipment.Itissimplertoplanforbalancingmachine loads.Unlikeconventionaltransferlines,theFTLallows forthefabricationofavarietyofworkparts.Theprocess ofresettingismostlyautomatic.

Multipleuniversalorspecializedflexibleautomated machinetoolsarecombinedintoaflexiblemachining systemcalledaflexiblemachiningsystem.Thisallowsfor thesimultaneousmachiningofmultipleworkcomponents. Thedefiningcharacteristicisthemachineinterlinkage, whichisunrestrictedbycycleconcerns.Itispossibleto compensateforvariedmachiningtimesatthevarious stationsbyemployingcentralizedordecentralizedworkpiecebufferstorage.Flexibilityisappliedtomachines throughCNCcontrolandproductflowfromonemachine toanother,whichismadepossiblebyadaptabletransport systems.Flexibilityisthecapacityofasystemtoadapt tochangesinthevolumesoftheproductmixaswellas themachiningproceduresandsequences.Asaresult,an FMSwillbeabletoreactquicklytoshiftingconsumerand marketdemands.

MAJORELEMENTSOFFMS

EachmajorsubsysteminanFMScarriesoutavarietyof tasks,andeachonedependsontheothersforthesystem

tooperateasawhole.Thetasksvaryaccordingtothe machineryandmanufacturingprocessesthatareused.

• Productionequipment

• FMSforsheetmetalwork

• FMSformachining

• Supportsystems

Automatedmachinetoolsfrequentlyrequiremanysystemstofunction.Ateachmachineorinthecentertool storage,therequiredtoolsformachiningcentersorturning centers’numerousoperationsmaybehousedinmagazines.Localpublicationsprovidequickaccessandbackup capacity,butinalargeFMS,acentraltoolfacilitymightbe moreefficient.

MaterialHandlingSystem

TomaintainanFMS,severalmaterial-handlingsystemsare oftenrequired.

• Amechanismformovinggoodsinandoutofthe FMS,suchasRVs,gantrysystems,AGVs,andoverheadconveyors.

• Atransfersystemtoloadandunloadthemachines.

• Abufferstoragesystemformachineworkpiece queues(e.g.,pallets).

• Thesesystemsmustbecoordinatedwithmachine operationstofunctionproperly.

OPTIMIZATIONOFFMS

Thefollowingstrategiesshouldbetakenintoaccountto maximizetheFMS’soveralleffectivenessandefficiency.

• Utilizingeachmachinetoitsfullestcapacity,cutting downonprocesscycletimes,andkeepingworkorganizedinautomatedstoragesystemssothatmachines canprocessitareallgoodpractices.

• Theuseofidentitymarkingmethods,providingadequatesensorsfordefectorproblemdetection,havingbackupoptions,includingin-processmeasurementandinspectionprocesses,andhavingbackup options.

CONCLUSION

AnFMSisadoptednotonlyinadvancedcountriesbut alsointheIndianindustry.Inthepast5years,someof theleadingautomobile,machinetool,anddefensesectors inthecountryhavealsoinstalledFMS.HMThasalready developedanFMSonapilotbasisandhasundertakenthe supplyofanFMStothedefensesectorunderajointworkingagreementwithanoverseasmanufacturer.Although theFMSrequiresahigherinitialinvestment,itsbenefits aresubstantialinthelongrun.Hence,theadoptionofFMS intheIndianindustryislikelytogrowinthefutureasthe demandforflexibilityandproductivityincreases.

Withthermalandvideosensorsgatheringcomprehensiveproductdataacrossvariousstagesofaproductcycle, theIoTmakesthisprocedureproactive.Ateachstageof themanufacturingprocess,thegoodscanalsobechecked toseeiftheircharacteristicsmeettherequirements.Instrumentationandmonitoringofproductionequipmentalso assistqualitycontrolstaffindeterminingwhetherand whereequipmentcalibrationdeviatesfromstandardsettings.Suchinaccuraciesmustbestoppedinadvanceto preventmisalignmentofproducts.

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