Dimensions of manufacturing automation

Abstract

The gamut of manufacturing automation and its ramifications in relation, to the strategic and operational issues can be appreciated only if the forces driving the system towards automation and their interrelationships are understood, Whether the automated technology is rigid (hard automation) or flexible; whether the control architecture for the system is interactive, passive, or intelligent; and whether the system is a direct evolution from a corresponding conventional (non-automated) system are some of the important considerations. A framework is required to relate the system parameters, leading to different configurations, with the strategic issues such as mix of configurations and path of evolution from one to another (or a mix) configuration, and operational issues such as a hierarchical (push) versus pull production control and the software logic support. Such a framework in terms of technological sophistication levels and control software sophistication levels is presented.