Automation in Manufacturing Assignment – I

Department of Mechanical Engineering

DVR & Dr. HS MIC College of Technology

Automation in Manufacturing

Assignment – I

Submission Date: 24-01-2011

1. (a) Define ‘Fixed Automation’ and ‘Flexible Automation’. Enumerate the differ-

         ences between them.

    (b) What are the important mechanical feeding devices used in automated sys-

          tems? Discuss them briefly.

2.  Draw the simple block diagram of pneumatic circuit and discuss it briefly.

3.  Describe the function and working of the following automated machine tools:

     (i)Transfer Machine (ii) Single Station Machine

4.    Describe the principle and working of the following automated machine tools:

       (i)Trunion machine  (ii) Center Column Machine

5.  (a) Draw the neat sketches of the following rotary transfer mechanisms and de-

     scribe them briefly:

     i. Ratchet and Pawl Mechanism    ii. Cam Mechanism

     (b) Explain the reasons for the use of buffer storage zones in automated flow lines.

6.  With the help of neat sketches, explain the following linear transfer

     mechanisms:

     (i)Walking Beam Transfer System (ii) Chain Drive Conveyor System

7. Discuss the following methods of transporting work pieces on flow lines.

    i. Continuous transfer mechanism

    ii. Intermitted transfer mechanism

    iii. Asynchronous transfer mechanism.

8. Discuss the important general terminology used in the analysis of the auto-

    mated flow lines.

9. What are the two basic approaches used in the analysis of transfer lines without

     storage? Explain them briefly.

10. Discuss the analysis of a two-stage automated flow line.

11. Discuss the following terms used in the automated flow lines:

      (i) Starving of stations   (ii) Blocking of stations.

12.  With the help of suitable example explain the procedure to solve the line

       balancing problem by Kilbridge and Wester’s Method.

13. What is ranked positional weight value? Explain its importance in solving line

       balancing problems by using Ranked Positional Weights Method.

14. Explain the following ways to improve the line balance:

      i. Changing work head speeds at automatic stations

      ii. Parallel stations

      iii. Methods Analysis.