402 Examples of Work Cells
The difference between a work cell and a system involves whether or not the machines in the work cell can communicate with each other. According to this, Groups 1, 2, and 3 are work cells, and groups 4, and 5 are systems.
Group 1- Machines that cycle automatically but require manual loading and unloading.
Group 2- Single dedicated (not flexible) machines that cycle automatically with separate automatic material handling.
Group 3- Flexible groups of automatic cycling machines with separate material handling arranged in a work cell.
Group 4- A group of machines dedicated to one part (not flexible), controlled from a central point with communication. (see 403)
Group 5- A group of machines capable of making any part within a range of materials (flexible), controlled from a central point with communication. (see 403)
| Group #1 |
Work cell, automatic cycling machines with manual material handling between operations. |
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Example 1.- CNC bender with manual load and unload, then manual transfer through several end finishing steps.
Operator loads bender with straight tube and while bender is cycling, runs the previously bent tube through the end operations, then reloads bender and repeats. |
| Group #2 |
Automation of dedicated automatic cycling equipment. |
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Example 2.- Fixture bender with finished parts ejected into bin, loaded by robot, robot slows fixture bender but neither stop for lunch.
One company's experience demonstrated a reasonable payback even though the fixture bender was slowed 30 percent by the robot |
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Example 3.- End forming operation, bowl feeder orients and presents nuts, auto loader feeds tubes through nut to end former, end former makes two hits and ejects into bin. |
| Group #3 |
Automation of material transfer through several pieces of automatic cycling equipment for a flexible cell without a central controller for communication between machines. |
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Example 4.- Auto loader for end former with robot transfer to bender, after bending the same robot removes the part from the bender and puts it in the discharge bin. |
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