Automating large-scale production

Lesson objective to understand the difference between one-off production, batch production, mass production and continuous production

How many products?

Products are made in a range of quantities and the numbers of products made at one time is referred to as the ‘Scale of Production’

What is a ‘one off’? What is a ‘batch production’? What is ‘mass production’? What is ‘continuous production’?

Lesson objective to understand the difference between one-off production, batch production, mass production and continuous production

One off production

Lesson objective to understand the difference between one-off production, batch production, mass production and continuous production

Key words – single – special – client – performance characteristics

List three items - List three items that you may order in your lifetime that could be a ‘one off’’

Batch production Task – list three types of products that you have bought that have been made in a batch production process

Batch production products are identical and made at the same time in either large or small numbers.

Once these products have been made, more of the same products may be made using the same equipment

Lesson objective to understand the difference between one-off production, batch production, mass production and continuous production

Mass production This involve the product going

through many stages of a production line. The workers and machines at each stage are responsible for making certain parts of the product.

Typically, mass production workers are less skilled as there is more reliance on machinery. Workers tend to specialise in a small range of takss.

Lesson objective to understand the difference between one-off production, batch production, mass production and continuous production

‘Continuous Production’ This means the products are

produced over a period of hours, days, weeks or even years. The production line never stops.

Very few workers are used in comparison with the number of products made. Typically, the force forces is less skilled due to the high levels of automation. The cost of the plant is high and is often designed to produce a very limited range of products

Lesson objective to understand the difference between one-off production, batch production, mass production and continuous production

Task – draw a flow diagram of the process for making bread buns – extra marks for listing the

ingredients You need arrows – images – words – inputs – outputs – machine names -

Inputs process outputs

Extra marks for listing the ingredients Water

Yeast

Flour

Salt

Sugar

Olive oil

AfL - 2 marks for every correct key word1. Tell me what a ‘one off’ is2. What is batch production, what scale and numbers?3. What is mass production?4. Tell me about the work force during mass production?5. Now tell me about continuous production, is it man or

machine that does most of this? 6. Is you talk about production methods what is the

correct term?

Automating large-scale production

Lesson objective 2 - understand the application of computer numerical control (CNC) in manufacturing

Questions Does anyone

know what a CNC system is?

Has anyone ever seen a robot building a large scale product or completing a delicate job that would normally be carried out by a person?

Lesson objective to understand the application of computer numerical control (CNC) in manufacturing

Surgeonsin Australia are excited over new surgical robots they are with to work surgical operations on patients. These new robots tolerate surgeons to work operations using enhanced precision in a way that reduces post-operative complications and actually requires fewer poles during the surgical method

Robots A first generation robots responds to

a pre-set program, doing the same job repeatedly. If this robot were pouring soft drinks into bottles and the liquid missed the opening of one bottle, it would carry on filling the bottles regardless.

Lesson objective to understand the application of computer numerical control (CNC) in manufacturing

Task 1 - Name robot and film

names

Maria - 1927 Gort 1951 Robby the robot 1956

C-3P0 and R2-D2 1977 - 2005

AshAlien, 1979

TerminatorTerminator, 1984

Johnny 5Short Circuit, 1986

RobocopRobocop 1, 2 & 3, 1987 - 1993

NS-5I, Robot, 2004

Marvin the Paranoid AndroidThe Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, 2005

Optimus PrimeTransformers, 2007

The leader of a pack of robots battling the Decepticons, (another, more evil class of robots) Optimus takes it upon himself to protect the planet Earth and kick some metal ass in the meantime.

Lesson objective to understand the application of computer numerical control (CNC) in manufacturing

A second generation robot has sensors that relay information to the computer in the factory. These robots can perform a similar automated job on many different products or processes.

On a car assembly line, a second generation robot might insert a car windscreen and then the dashboard.

AfL -

1. What two types of robot systems are there

2. What type of tasks can this type of automation do?

3. Advantages of these systems?

4. Disadvantages to these systems?

AfL – when we have discussed the advantages and disadvantages I want you to make small notes on each

Precision and Efficiency Long-term Cost Ease of Exchange/Upgrade Technology limits The research and development cost The automation of a plant

Answers Because humans require resources like sleep, nutrition and mental stimulation to be fully functional, robots have replaced people on many assembly lines with great success.

Precision and Efficiency - It is a well-founded scientific fact that no matter how focused the individual may be, a human being will always fatigue both physically and mentally during long hours of intense physical or mental exertion, like that found on an assembly line.

Robots, however, require no breaks to rest, nor do they grow weary and uncoordinated after 10 hours of ceaseless labor. A robot can be left to do its job for much longer hours than humans can manage without losing quality in their work, especially during precise operations such as soldering microchips.

Long-term Cost

- A manufacturing robot can seem unbelievably expensive at first. There's the cost of the machine itself, plus the operating software and hardware, and the installation to pay for.

When compared to hiring and maintaining a human worker, however, the long-term cost comparison favors an automated workplace.

Ease of Exchange/Upgrade

If an application comes into your company from someone who is better qualified, better educated or otherwise superior to one of your human workers, you are faced with a dilemma.

While hiring the new person would be the correct move for your company, it would require first removing the existing worker from his post.

Aside from the tedious paperwork and general upheaval this can cause, it is also a terrible blow to a person's ego and financial situation, is generally seen as unfair by the existing worker.

It can result in unlawful-termination lawsuits, or other problems.

Disadvantage

Technology limits. Current technology is unable to automate all the desired tasks.

Unpredictable development costs.

The research and development cost of automating a process is difficult to predict accurately beforehand. Since this cost can have a large impact on profitability, it’s possible to finish automating a process only to discover that there’s no economic advantage in doing so. Initial costs are relatively high.

The automation of a new product required a huge initial investment in comparison with the unit cost of the product, although the cost of automation is spread in many product batches.

The automation of a plant required a great initial investment too, although this cost is spread in the products to be produced.