UNIT IV

GROUP TECHNOLOGY
&
COMPUTER AIDED PROCESS PLANNING

[Link]
Associate Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Aarupadai Veedu Institute of Technology
Vinayaka Mission’s Research Foundation

COMPUTER INTEGRATED MANUFACTURING

SEMESTER VI, MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 1

 GROUP TECHNOLOGY
•Group Technology (GT)is a manufacturing philosophy in which similar
parts are identified and grouped together to make advantage of their
similarities in design and production.
•Similar parts are arranged into part families, where each part family
possesses similar design and/or manufacturing characteristics.
•Grouping the production equipment into machine cells, where each cell
specializes in the production of a part family, is called cellular
manufacturing.
Introduction to Group Technology (GT)

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 2

Why Group Technology?

• Average Lot Size Decreasing

• Part Variety Increasing
• Increased Variety Of Materials With Diverse Properties
• Requirements For Closer Tolerances

Other Benefits Of Group Technology

•Easier To Justify Automation

•Standardization In Design
•Data Retrieval
•Easier, More Standardized Process Plans
•Increases In Quality

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 3

 IMPLEMENTING GROUP TECHNOLOGY (GT)

There are two major tasks that a company must undertake when it
implements Group Technology.

[Link] the part families. If the plant makes 10,000 different parts,
reviewing all of the part drawings and grouping the parts into families
is a substantial task that consumes a significant amount of time.

[Link] production machines into cells. It is time consuming

and costly to plan and accomplish this rearrangement, and the
machines are not producing during the changeover.

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 4

Role of GT in CAD/CAM integration

 A rapid proliferation of numbers and variety of products, resulting in smaller

lot sizes
 Growing demand for closer tolerances, resulting in a need for economical

means
 Need for increased varieties of materials, heightening the need for more

economical means of manufacturing

 Increase in proportion of cost of materials to total product cost due to

increasing labour efficiency, lowering acceptance scrap rates.

 Increasing communications across the manufacturing functions with a goal of

minimizing production costs and maximizing production rates.

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 5

GT an important element of CAD / CAM integration
 GT applications provides a common database for effective implementation of

CAD/CAM, leading to successful implementation of CIM.

 Integration of design, manufacturing and quality

 Provides a structure and save information about design and manufacturing

attributes, process and manufacturing capabilities

 Common database plays a vital role in the development and implementation

of CAD/CAM.

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 6

Benefits of Group Technology (GT)

•GT promotes standardization of tooling, fixturing and setups.

•Material handling is reduced because parts are moved within a machine cell
rather than within the entire factory.

•Process planning and production scheduling are simplified.

•Setup times are reduced, resulting in lower manufacturing lead times

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 7

 Part Families
 A part family is a collection of parts that are similar either because of

geometric shape and size or because similar processing steps are

required in their manufacture.
 •The parts within a family are different, but their similarities are close

enough to merit their inclusion as members of the part family.

Rotational part family requiring similar turning operations

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 8

GT AFFECTS MOST EVERY OPERATING AND STAFF FUNCTION.
IT IS MORE THAN MERELY A TECHNIQUE, BUT A TOTAL
MANUFACTURING PHILOSOPHY.
DESIGN
DATA ENGINEERING
SALES
PROCESSING

MAINTENANCE INVENTORY

TOOL PLANNING
ENGINEERING

ESTIMATING PURCHASING

INDUSTRIAL ASSEMBLY
RELATIONS
QUALITY MANAGEMENT
CONTROL

R&D MFG.
ENGINEERING
COST GT SHIPPING &
ACCOUNTING [Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. RECEIVING 9
 Part Families

Similar prismatic parts requiring similar milling operations

Dissimilar parts requiring similar machining operations (hole drilling, surface milling )

Identical designed parts requiring

completely different manufacturing
processes

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 10

 Design attributes

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 11

 Manufacturing attributes

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 12

One of the important manufacturing advantages of grouping workparts into
families can be explained with reference to figures below

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 13

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 14
 Grouping Part Families

There are three general methods for solving part families

grouping.

All the three are time consuming and involve the analysis of much
of data by properly trained personnel.

The three methods are:

[Link] inspection.
[Link] classification and coding.
[Link] flow analysis

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 15

 Visual Inspection Method

The visual inspection method is the least sophisticated

and least expensive method.

It involves the classification of parts into families by

looking at either the physical parts or their photographs and
arranging them into groups having similar features.

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 16

Visual inspection method

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 17

 Parts Classification and Coding

In parts classification and coding, similarities among parts are

identified, and these similarities are related in a coding system.

Two categories of part similarities can be distinguished:

[Link] attributes, which concerned with part
characteristics such as geometry, size and material.
[Link] attributes, which consider the
sequence of processing steps required to make a part.

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 18

FUNCTIONAL LAYOUTS ARE INEFFICIENT

Lathe Milling Drilling

L L M M D D

D D
L L M M
Grinding
L L M M G G

Assembly
L L G G
A A
Receiving and A A G G
Shipping

PROCESS-TYPE LAYOUT

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 19

 GROUP TECHNOLOGY LAYOUT

L L M D G

A A
Receiving L M G G

L M D Shipping

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 20

 CELLULAR LAYOUT
Department #2 Department #1

D D M I D
I
L
Department #3
M
M
L L D M I

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 21

Three Techniques To Form Part Families
1. Tacit Judgment Or Visual Inspection

•Utilizes Subjective
• Judgment may Use Photos Or Part Prints
2. Production Flow Analysis
• Uses Information Contained On The Route Sheet
(Therefore Only Mfg. Info)
• Parts Grouped By Required Processing
3. Classification And Coding
• Codes Geometry/Design And Mfg.
Info About A Component

• Codes Are Alphanumeric Strings

Easier To Use For Other Analyses

Cont’d
[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 22
 2-Parts classification and Coding

•Reasons for using a classification and coding system:

[Link] retrieval :
A designer faced with the task of developing a new part can use a
design retrieval system to determine if a similar part already exist. A
simple change in an existing part would take much less time than
designing a whole new part from scratch.
[Link] process planning :
The part code for a new part can be used to search for process
plans for existing parts with identical or similar codes.
[Link] cell design :
The part codes can be used to design machine cells capable of
producing all members of a particular part family, using the
composite part concept.
[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 23
TYPES OF CLASSIFICATION AND
CODING SYSTEMS

GT CODING CAN BENEFIT MANY FACETS OF THE

FIRM AND FALL INTO ONE OF 3 CATEGORIES:

1. SYSTEMS BASED ON PART DESIGN

ATTRIBUTES
2. SYSTEMS BASED ON PART MFG.
ATTRIBUTES
3. SYSTEMS BASED ON DESIGN AND MFG.
ATTRIBUTES

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 24

EXAMPLES:

PART DESIGN ATTRIBUTES PART MFG. ATTRIBUTES

BASIC EXTERNAL SHAPE MAJOR PROCESSES

BASIC INTERNAL SHAPE MINOR OPERATIONS
MATERIAL FIXTURES NEEDED

LENGTH/DIAMETER RATIO

SURFACE FINISH

TOLERANCES-----MACHINE TOOL
OPERATION SEQUENCE

MAJOR DIMENSION
TOOLING
BATCH SIZE

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 25

EXAMPLE:

THIRTEEN PARTS WITH SIMILAR MANUFACTURING

PROCESS REQUIREMENTS BUT DIFFERENT
DESIGN ATTRIBUTES

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 26

DESIGN AND PART MANUFACTRUING
ATTRIBUTES

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 27

GT CODE--A SEQUENCE OF NUMERICAL DIGITS

THREE MAJOR STRUCTURES:

1. MONOCODE (OR HIERARCHICAL STRUCTURE)

A CODE IN WHICH EACH DIGIT AMPLIFIES THE

INFORMATION GIVEN IN THE PREVIOUS DIGIT

• DIFFICULT TO CONSTRUCT
• PROVIDES A DEEP ANALYSIS
• USUALLY FOR PERMANENT INFORMATION

cont’d

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 28

MONOCODE OR HIERACHIAL CODE

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 29

 HIERARCHICAL STRUCTURE

32XX Ele
aulic ctr
ydr ica
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H

321X 323X
Mechanical

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Transmission
er

c
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eiv
Po

in
g
3231 3233
322X
3232

UN
ad

UNF thread

C
re

th
th

re
No

ad
3221 3223
3222
[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 30
HIERARCHIALCODE FOR SPUR GEAR

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 31

POLYCODE OR ATTRIBUTE CODE

EACH DIGIT IS INDEPENDENT OF ALL OTHERS,

PRESENTS INFORMATION NOT DEPENDENT
ON PREVIOUS ONES

CODES ARE COMPACT

EASY TO USE AND DEVELOP

SUITABLE FOR COMPUTER ANALYSIS

LACKS IN DETAILS OF MONOCODE

POLYCODES ARE LARGER THAN MONOCODES

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 32
POLYCODE OR ATTRIBUTE CODE

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 33

MIXED CODE OR HYBRID CODE
HAS SOME DIGITS FORMING MONOCODES, BUT
STRINGS THEM TOGETHER IN THE GENERAL
ARRANGEMENT OF A POLYCODE

BEST FEATURES OF MONOCODE AND POLYCODE

SUBGROUPS ARE FORMED AS IN MONOCODE

STRUCTURE

HYBRID CODE IS COMPACT THAN ATTRIBUTE CODE

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 34

 HYBRID STRUCTURE

Polycode Monocode Polycode

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 35
MIXED CODE OR HYBRID CODE

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 36

TECHNIQUE:

1. DETERMINE PART AND MACHINE REQUIREMENTS

2. NUMERICALLY CODE EACH PART
GEOMETRY (& SIZE)
MATERIAL
OTHER SPECIFICATIONS (TOLERANCE,
SURFACE FINISH)
3. FORM A FAMILY OF SIMILAR PARTS WHICH USE
(LARGELY) THE SAME SET OF MACHINE TOOLS
4. LAY OUT OF EACH CELL (A GROUP OF MACHINE
TOOLS) TO MAKE A FAMILY OF PARTS
5. DESIGN GROUP TOOLING

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 37

 REDUCTION OF MFG. COSTS BY VARIOUS
STEPS OF GROUP TECHNOLOGY APPLICATIONS
(ADAPTED FROM HAM442)

NOT ALL COST SAVINGS ARE IMMEDIATE...

Improvements in Engineering Design
Materials Management & Purchasing Benefits
Production Control Benefits
Manufacturing Engineering Benefits
Tooling & Setup Benefits
Management Benefits
Overall Cost Reduction &
Increased Productivity

0 6 12 18 24 36
Time (months)
[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 38
 CODING SYSTEMS
More than 100 coding systems
- Opitz classification system
- MICLASS system - Part Analog
- DCLASS system
- KK – 3 - COFORM
- CODE system
- CUTPLAN system -Brisch system
- RNC system

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 40

OPITZ CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM
Developed by H. Opitz, University of Aachen,
Germany
Alpha-numeric symbols used to represent various
attributes
 Digit sequence: 12345 6789 ABCD
12345 – Form code – design attributes
6789 - Supplementary code – Manufacturing
related attributes
ABCD - Secondary code – particular needs
[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 41
OPITZ CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 42

OPITZ CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 43

MICLASS system
MICLASS - Metal Institute Classification System
Also referred as Multiclass system
Digits – 12 to 30 digits.
First 12 codes are universal codes
Next 18 codes are supplementary codes

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 44

MICLASS system

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 45

MICLASS CODING
First 4 digits deal with form, main shape, shape
elements and position
Next 4 dimensional information: Main dimension,
ratio of various dimensions, auxillary dimensions
Digits 9 and 10 – Tolerance information
Next 18 digits – supplementary digits: information on
lot size, piece time, cost data and operation sequence

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 46

MICLASS CODING
Parts can be coded using computer interactively –
user responds to a series of questions asked by
computer – on the basis of questions – computer
assigns the code
It is difficult to make modifications, when the code
does not provide necessary information

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 47

DCLASS Coding system
DCLASS – Design and Classification Information system
Comprises of 8 digits
First segment – 3 digits – denotes basic shape
Second segment – 4th digit –denotes the complexity of the
part (holes, slots, heat treatment and special surface
finishes)
Third segment – 5th digit – specify the overall size of the
coded part
Fourth segment – 6th digit – Represents precision
Final segment – 7&8 digit – material type
- Easily computerised and hence it is a commercial coding
system

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 48

DCLASS Coding system

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 49

 Production flow analysis
 Approach to part family and machine cell
formation – pioneered by J. Burbridge
 Parts that go through common operations are
grouped into part families.
 The machines used to perform these common
operations may be grouped as a cell, consequently
this technique can be used in facility layout (factory
layout)

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 50

Production Flow Analysis (PFA)
Method for identifying part families and associated
machine groupings
Part families are the workparts with identical or
similar routings
Families used to form the machine cells
PFA uses manufacturing data rather than design data
to identifying part families, which overcomes two part
anomalies.

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 51

3- Production Flow Analysis (PFA)
• The procedure of Production flow analysis (PFA) consists of the
following steps:
1. Data Collection. The minimum data needed in the analysis are the
part number and operation sequence, which is obtained from
process plans.
2. Sortation of process plans. A sortation procedure is used to group
parts with identical process plans.
3. PFA Chart. The processes used for each group are then displayed in
a PFA chart as shown below.

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 52

3- Production Flow Analysis (PFA)
4. Clustering Analysis. From the pattern of data in the PFA chart,
related groupings are identified and rearranged into a new pattern
that brings together groups with similar machine sequences.

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 53

Advantages of PFA
Design data and PFA uses manufacturing data to
identify part families
Overcomes two anomalies occur in part classification
and coding
1st Anomaly : Basic geometries are quite different, but
have same process routings
2nd Anomaly : Part geometries are similar, but require
different process routings

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 54

Disadvantages of PFA
Does not provide any mechanism for
rationalizing the manufacturing routings
No consideration being given to routing sheet,
whether routing sheet are optimal or consistent or
logical
Final part and machine grouping may be sub
optimal, since process sequences from route
sheets are prepared by different process planners.
Routings may contain processing steps that are
non-optimal, illogical and unnecessary

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 55

Facility Design in Group technology
It is the determination of how to arrange the
machines in the shop
Facility layout or plant layout physical arrangement
of production facilities
Configuration of departments, work centres and
equipments in the conversion process
Layout objective is to economically meet required
output quantity and quality

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 56

What Is Layout Planning?
Layout planning is deciding the best physical arrangement of
all resources within a facility
Facility resource arrangement can significantly affect
productivity
Two broad categories of operations:
 Intermittent processing systems – low volume of many different
products
 Continuous processing systems – high volume of a few standardized
products

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 5757

Types of Layouts
Four basic layout types consisting of:
Functional or Process layouts - Group similar resources
together
Product or Line layouts - Designed to produce a specific
product efficiently
Group or Hybrid layouts - Combine aspects of both
process and product layouts
Fixed-Position layouts - Product is two large to move;
e.g. a building

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 5858

Product Layouts
Product layout unique characteristics are:
Resources are specialized
Facilities are capital intensive
Processing rates are faster
Material handling costs are lower
Space requirements for inventory storage are lower
Flexibility is low relative to the market

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 5959

Product or Line Layout

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 60

Product layout

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 61

 Group Technology
Job shop production System
Batch production System
Mass production System

GT

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 62

Process Layouts
Process layout unique characteristics include:

Resources used are general purpose

Facilities are less capital intensive
Facilities are more labor intensive
Resources have greater flexibility
Processing rates are slower
Material handling costs are higher

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 6363

Process Layouts – con’t
 Scheduling resources & work flow is more
complex
 Space requirements are higher

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 6464

Product layout
Suitable for continuous mass production

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 65

Process layout

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 66

Designing Process Layouts
Step 1: Gather information:
Space needed, space available, identify closeness measures
Step 2: Develop alternative block plans:
Using trial-and-error or decision support tools
Step 3: Develop a detailed layout:
Consider exact sizes/shapes of departments and work
centers including aisles and stairways
Tools like drawings, 3-D models, and CAD software are
available to facilitate this process

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 6767

Special Cases of Process Layouts
A number of unique process layouts require special
attention. We will look at two of these:
Warehouse layouts
Office Layouts

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 6868

Warehouse Layouts

Warehouse Layout Considerations:

 Primary decision is where to locate each department
relative to the dock
 Departments can be organized to minimize “ld” totals
 Departments of unequal size require modification of
the typical ld calculations to include a calculation of
the “ratio of trips to area needed”
 The usage of “Crossdocking” modifies the traditional
warehouse layouts; more docks, less storage space,
and less order picking

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 6969

Office Layouts
Office Layout Considerations:
 Almost half of US workforce works in an office
environment
 Human interaction and communication are the primary
factors in designing office layouts
 Layouts need to account for physical environment and
psychological needs of the organization
 One key layout trade-off is between proximity and privacy
 Open concept offices promote understanding & trust
 Flexible layouts incorporating “office landscaping” help to
solve the privacy issue in open office environments

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 7070

Designing Product Layouts
Designing product layouts requires consideration of:
Sequence of tasks to be performed by each workstation
Logical order
Speed considerations – line balancing

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 7171

Designing Product Layouts – con’t
Step 1: Identify tasks & immediate predecessors
Step 2: Determine output rate
Step 3: Determine cycle time
Step 4: Compute the Theoretical Minimum number of
Stations
Step 5: Assign tasks to workstations (balance the
line)
Step 6: Compute efficiency, idle time & balance delay

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 7272

Process vs. Product Layouts
Here are the characteristic differences between a process
and product layout.

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 7373

• PROLIFERATION OF PARTS
SELECTION OF OPTICAL INSTRUMENT PARTS IN ONE COMPANY,
ILLUSTRATING THE SIMILARITY BETWEEN CERTAIN COMPONENTS

• NOTE: SOME OF THE ABOVE ARE ALMOST THE SAME

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 74
GT FOR DESIGN APPLICATION
Design concept can be coded.
Conceptual design
Code is a rough model of the
conceptual design.
Coding (rough model)

Design
archive
Retrieval existing designs

Existing designs

Retrieve designs of similar

Design modification shape or function and use
them as the examples.

New Design
[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 75
 1st Digit
FORM CODE
5th Digit Supplim-
part class 3rd Digit entary
2nd Digit 4th Digit additional
main shape rotational plane surface holes teeth & code
Positions
with a 0 machining matching forming
Digit
digit External Internal Machining 6 7 8 9
1 shape shape of plane Other holes
element element surfaces and teeth

Original shape of raw materials

Rotational

2
Machining Other holes
3 Main shape Rotational teeth and
of plane
machining

Dimensions
surfaces forming

Accuracy
Material
4

5 Special Main shape

6
Non-rotational

Main bore Machining Other holes

7 Main shape & rotational of plane teeth and
machining surfaces forming
8
Main shape Opitz coding and classification system.
9 Special
(Reprinted with permission from H. Opitz, A
[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept.
Classification of Mech.
System Engg. Workpieces, Pergamon Press.)
to Describe 76
 Engineering
TYPICAL drawing
PROCESS
Process
PLANNING planner
SYSTEM Code or
XXX other form
of input
Process planning
system

Process

Industrial engineer Production

• Time standard Part planner
• Operation programme • Scheduling
instruction r • MPP
• Layout APT Program

APT Processor
& post-processor

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 77

 PROCESS PLANNING

“PROCESS PLANNING” IS THAT FUNCTION WITHIN A MANUFACTURING

FACILITY THAT ESTABLISHES WHICH MACHINING PROCESSES AND
PARAMETERS ARE TO BE USED (AS WELL AS THOSE MACHINES CAPABLE
OF PERFORMING THESE PROCESSES) TO CONVERT (MACHINE) A PIECE
PART FROM ITS INITIAL FORM TO A FINAL FORM PREDETERMINED
(USUALLY BY A DESIGN ENGINEER) FROM AN ENGINEERING DRAWING.
(I.E. THE PREPARATION OF THE DETAILED WORK INSTRUCTIONS TO
PRODUCE A PART)

Process planning bridges design and

manufacturing

Bridge

Design Manufacturing
[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 78
VARIANT PROCESS PLANNING
USES THE SIMILARITY AMONG COMPONENTS
TO RETRIEVE EXISTING PROCESS PLANS
(WHICH CAN BE MODIFIED)

OVERVIEW:
TWO STAGES FOR VP SYSTEMS
1. PREPARATORY STAGE
• EXISTING PARTS CODED &
CLASSIFIED (I.E. GT IS A
PREREQUISITE)
• PART FAMILIES ORGANIZED
• STANDARD PLANS DEVELOPED
• DATABASES CREATED
(NOTE: THIS STAGE IS LABOR INTENSIVE)
Cont’d
[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 79
 1. PREPARATORY STAGE OF
VARIANT
PROCESS PLANNING
Part Drawing

Coding

Family One
Standard
Plan
File
Family Formation
(Indexed
by Family
Matrix)
Process Plan

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 80

2. PRODUCTON STAGE OF VARIANT
PROCESS PLANNING

Coding Family Search

Standard
Plan
File

Process Plan

Editing Standard Plan

Retrieval

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 81

 Process planning
 once a part has been designed, the critical
question becomes how to make it …
 The process plan identifies the operations, m/c
tools, fixtures, tooling and parameters required
to transform the raw material or component into
a finished product

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 82

Process planning (cont.):
 process planning takes the part description as
defined in the engineering design and determines
the processes and processing sequences needed
to produce the part - involves the translation of
design data to instruction to produce the part

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 83

Process planning – key elements
 Analysis of part (design) requirements
 selection of raw work piece
 selection of manufacturing operations
 determine sequence of operations
 selection of machine tools
 tools, jig and fixture selection
 determine machining conditions & manufacturing
times

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 84

 Process planning – Influential factors
 geometric shape
 required features
 tolerance
 surface finish
 size
 material type
 quantity
 the manufacturing system

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 85

Process planning – output
 process plan or “routing”
 identifying:
- the manufacturing processes
- the order of processes
- the types of m/c tools to be used
- the raw material
- the specification (or design) of any required
tools & fixtures
- the detailed instructions for the operators at
each step
[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 86
Process planning is the bridge
between design and manufacture:
CAD CAM

Design N/C control (CNC, DNC)

CAD
Drafting database Automated Mtl. Handling

Analysis Shop-Floor Control

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 87

Process Planning

Process planning
process activities …
database … process plan

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 88

Traditional (manual) - Process
Planning
 generally introduce significant pre- production
delays
 high manual and clerical content
 repetition of similar (or identical) decisions in
many routine tasks
 dependency on the planning engineer
- knowledge, experience, judgment

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 89

Traditional (manual) - Process planning
(Cont.)
 knowledge “locked in” with planning engineer
 difficult to ensure consistency between planning
engineers
 difficulty with respect to standardization (and/or
optimization) of routings
 each new part will be planned from “scratch”
 difficulty w. r. to maintaining routing data

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 90

Advantages of Automation:
 Reduction in process planning time
and thereby pre-production lead-times
 Reduction in reliance on skills of planning
engineer
- less skills required to perform tasks
- compensation for general reduction in skill
base
 reduction in costs

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 91

Advantages of automation (Cont.):
 increase in productivity of activity
 increase in process rationalization
 increase in consistency and accuracy of
process plans
 ability to interface (integrate) with other
applications

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 92

Approaches to CAPP:
 (basic)
LE&S, 1991
 variant

 generative

 (semi-generative) Alting & Zhang, 1989

[Alting & Zhang, 1989, “CAPP: a state of the art survey”,

Int. J. Production Research, 27 (4), pp. 553-585.;
Lucas Engineering & Systems, 1991, Lucas Mini Guides]

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 93

Variant systems:
 comparable with the traditional manual
approach
- pure variant systems will provide more
administrative support than technical

 based on the characteristics of the “new” product,

an existing process plan is retrieved
- either, a specific process plan of a similar part
- or, a standard (generic) process plan for the same
part family

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 94

Variant systems (Cont.):
 This approach requires careful coding & classification of
parts in order to operate efficiently

 The retrieved process plan is then modified and tailored

as for the requirements of the new part

 The computer provides assistance in the process planning

activities
- retrieval of required data
- entry of operational details may be supported by
standard operations or elements
- links may be provided to machinability and std.
time databases

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 95

 Variant systems
(Cont.):
 however, there remains a dependency on the
knowledge and experience of the process
planner
- especially w.r. to the quality of the derived
process plan
 variant systems prove to be popular
- less investment required
- less development time required

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 96

Architecture of Retrieval type Computer
Aided Process Planning System
Derive GT
code number
for part

Search part
family file Part
for GT code Family
file

Retrieve
standard Standard
process plan process
plan file

Edit existing
plan or write
new plan

Process plan Other

formatter application
programs

Process
plan

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 97

 Generative systems:
 seeks to generate/develop a process plan from the
component drawing with (little or) no human
intervention -
this is the ideal to which current systems have yet to
reach.

Plans generated by means of decision logic,

 formulae, technology algorithms and geometry
 based data to perform uniquely the many processing
 decisions for converting a part from raw material to
 a finished state
- use of Al/expert systems

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 98

Generative systems
(cont.):
 Much research effort since offers greater payoff
than with variant systems

 The rules for manufacturing and equipment

capabilities are stored in the computer system
- textual
• user answering a series of questions
- graphical
• data gathered from AD system (“interface
input”)

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 99

CAPP systems
 many and varied
- approx. 200 listed by Alting & Zhang in 1989

 differences include:
- variant or generative
- type of parts consider
- inputs required
- output produced

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 100

Methods of Generative Approach of CAPP
 Forward and Backward planning
 The input Format
 CAD Models
 Decision Logic : Trees / Tables
 Artificial Intelligence
Forward and Backward planning:
In GA planning, when process plans are generated, the system
must define an initial state in order to reach the final state. The path taken
by represents the sequence of processes. This is known as forward
planning.
Backward planning is reverse procedure. ie., if we have a finished
part, the goal is to go back to the unmachined work piece. Each machining
process is considered as filling process.
[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 101
The Input formats:
The input format is a planning system that ease with which a system
can be used and the capability of the system.
The transitional may be difficult but it can give more complete
information about a part and more planning functions can be accomplished.

CAD Models:
It eliminates the human effort of translating a design into code and other
descriptive form.
A CAD model contains all the details about a design.

Decision Logic:
It determines how processes are selected. The major function is to
match the process capabilities with design specification.
i) TREES ii) TABLES
These techniques are methods of describing the various actions
associated with the combination of input conditions.

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 102

Artificial Intelligence:
 The ability of a device to perform functions that are normally associated
with human intelligence. These functions include reasoning, planning and
problem solving.
 Applications for AI have been in natural language processing, intelligent
data base retrieval, expert consulting systems, theorem removing, robotics,
scheduling and perception problems.
There are TWO types of knowledge involved in process planning such as
Component Knowledge and Process Knowledge.
 Component knowledge define the current state of the problem to be
solved. (Known as declarative knowledge)
Process knowledge defines how the component can be changed by
processes. (Known as procedural knowledge). Feature recognition,
feature process correlation, process sequencing, blank selection,
cutting parameter selection and tool selection are the segments, the AI
contribute more to improve the quality of process plan.
[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 103
CAPP commercial systems

CAPP, MIPLAN, MITURN, MIAPP,

UNIVATION, CINTURN, COMCAPPV - Variant
approach
METCAPP, CPPP, AUTAP, APPS -
Generative
approach

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 104

CAM-I CAPP system
-- It is the most widely used system.
A database management system written in ANSI standard FORTRAN
Provides a structure for data base, retrieval logic and interactive editing
capability

Part Family Std. Seq. File Operation Application

Matrix file Plan File Programs

Part Family Header Data Std. Seq. Opn. Plan Work Element
Search Input Retrieval File Retrieval / Processor
Edit

Part
Classification
File

Process Plan
PROCESS Formatter Process Plan
PLAN Store

Structure of CAM-I CAPP system

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 105

TIPPS – Totally Integrated Process Planning Systems

- A generative approach evolved from APPAS

- Logical divisions of planning are broken into
functional modules
- It has modular structure
- Can interact with a CAD system
- Allows for interactive surface identification
- Contains a process/knowledge description
language

[Link], Assoc. Prof. , Dept. of Mech. Engg. 106