12. Automated Manufacturing Systems 12.1 Unit Introduction 12.2 Unit Objectives 12.3 Components of a Manufacturing System 12.4 Classification of Manufacturing Systems 12.5 Overview of the Classification Scheme 12.6 Single Station Manned Workstations 12.7 Single Station Automated Cells 12.8 Applications of Single Station Cells 12.9 Analysis of Single Station Cells 12.10 Unit Review 12.11 Self Assessment 12.12 Self Assessment Answers 12.1 Introduction Manufacturing systems consist of human workers, automation, and various material handling technologies, configured in ways that create specific manufacturing system typologies. More specifically, a manufacturing system is a collection of integrated equipment and human resources, whose function is to perform one or more processing and/or assembly operations on a starting raw material, part, or set of parts. Our focus in this unit is upon manufacturing systems that are said to be automated, and so concentration will be put upon the types of integrated equipment that is used and arranged in a manufacturing cell. This can range from production machines and tools, material handling and work positioning devices, to the use of various computer systems that facilitate automation in the production environment. KEYPOINT A manufacturing system is a collection of integrated equipment and human resources, whose function is to perform one or more processing and/or assembly operations on a starting raw material, part, or set of parts. END KEYPOINT The manufacturing system is where value-added work is performed to parts and/or products, and this activity gives manufacturing a central place in the overall scheme of the system of production, where it is supported by systems of manufacturing support, quality control, material handling, and automation control. Different types of manufacturing systems may be identified. These include: BULLETLIST Single station cell—one worker tends one production machine that operates on semi-automatic cycl