Flexible Manufacturing Cells

Flexible Manufacturing Cells

Flexible Manufacturing Cells - Flexible manufacturing cells (FMCs) are dedicated groups of workstations within a larger FMS. Such cells are segregated components of an FMS. The reasons for segregating a cell within a system are varied:

1. Working with dangerous or hazardous materials

2. Noise

3. Different operator tasks required

4. Different materials required.

The development of FMCs followed that of FMSs, although it might have worked better had the order been reversed. Flexible manufacturing cells are actually small FMSs. As such, they are less expensive to develop and implement and more likely to succeed. For this reason, FMCs is growing in use more rapidly than the larger FMSs.

The FMC is actually the FMS concept in microcosm. As such, it offers several advantages over FMSs:

1. Less initial capital outlay

2. Less sophisticated computer control

3. easy to learn to operate

4. More easily understood by management and production personnel.

In its simplest form, an FMC is a group of related CNC machines with common computer control and a common materials handling system.