A Flexible Manufacturing Cell Architecture
An illustration object-oriented control system for a flexible manufacturing cell is represented in this section. This contained various operational limitations that are illustrated. A description of the latest system follows, along with emphasis on the enhancements acquired through the object-oriented programming approach.
The usual operational flow of a particular part in the cell may be given as:
(a) A part appears in the cell on an input conveyor and is moved in the field of observation of a visualization system.
(b) A visualization system establishes specify and location of the part.
(c) The robot changes the end effectors if necessary, and then moves the part from the conveyor to the router bed.
(d) The part is machined on the router.
(e) If scrap removal is required between machining operations, the robot intervenes, removes solid scrap, and return to the same position. The router then proceeds with remaining operations.
(f) While all router operations are complete, the robot conveys the ended part from the router bed to the output conveyor and the procedure repeats.
A latest part can enter the cell one time the preceding part has been eliminated from the input conveyor and a message has been send to turn the input conveyor back on. Because the system is organized as a tightly coupled system with no any buffers, the maximum number of parts which can reside in the cell at the similar time is three: the oldest part is either leaving the cell or on the router bed, the middle part is either being held via the robot or is on the router and a latest part is on the input conveyor.
The router is equipped along with a flexible work holding fixture which applies vacuum individually to the independent part and scrap zones under computer control. Earlier to the robot loading a part onto the router, scrap zones and the suitable part are activated. The scrap vacuum zones for the part are deactivated and the robot removes the scrap, if solid scrap removal is needed among machining passes. While all machining is finish, the element vacuum zone deactivated and the robot transfers the element from the router bed to the output conveyor.