柔性制造——中英文翻译、外文文献翻译.doc

PAGE PAGE 10 Flexible Manufacturing As an introduction to the subsequent discussions of production systems and advanced manufacturing technologies it is useful to present a definition of the term manufacturing system. A manufacturing system can be defined as a series of value-adding manufacturing processes converting the raw materials into more useful forms and eventually finished products. In the modern manufacturing setting, flexibility is an important characteristic. It means that a manufacturing system is versatile and adaptable, while also capable of handling relatively high production runs. A flexible manufacturing system is versatile in that it can produce a variety of parts. It is adaptable because it can be quickly modified to produce a completely different line of parts. A flexible manufacturing system is an individual machine or group of machines served by an automated materials handling system that is computer controlled and has a tool handling capability. Because of its tool handling capability and computer control, such a system can be continually reconfigured to manufacture a wide variety of parts. This is why it is called a flexible manufacturing system. A FMS typically encompasses: * Process equipment e.g. , machine tools, assembly stations, and robots * Material handling equipment e.g. , robots, conveyors, and AGVs (automated guided vehicles) * A communication system * A computer control system Flexible manufacturing represents a major step toward the goal of fully integrated manufacturing. It involves integration of automated production processes. In flexible manufacturin , the automated manufacturing machine and the automated materials handling system share instantaneous communication via a computer network. This is integration on a small scale. Flexible manufacturing takes a major step toward the goal of fully integrated manufacturing by integrating several automated manufacturing concepts: * Computer numerical control (CNC)