1. Automated Inspection :

Sensors and minicomputer developments have made it practical to introduce automated inspection. In the electronics industry, automated inspection is already the norm. The cost of manual inspection for electronics was so high that a great deal of money could be justified for automation.

For mechanical systems, automated inspection has evolved more slowly. In 1974, mechanical sensors were normal. The use of mechanical sensors made automation very difficult because of sensor wear and deformation due to sensor pressure, and because of the limited speeds that could be achieved. A few remote sensors were available, but basically they were laboratory tools. Similarly, microprocessors and microcomputers were very expensive extensive tools being introduced in the laboratory. The result was costly computer equipment with low reliability and complex programming, or hard-wired inspection offering little flexibility and requiring complex logic systems. But now automated inspection has come of age. A variety of vendors now offer systems, sensors, components, and more. A variety of users, toolmakers, etc., are introducing automated inspection. Over the next few years, automated inspection will enter many aspects of manufacturing and make factories smarter.

2. Simulation :

Simulation techniques are available for modeling almost all aspects of manufacturing. Simulation refers to a variety of approaches that have been made available by access to digital computers. Modeling usually refers to closed-form equations which represent physical events. In simulation, the computer is used to model the real world - random number approaches are normally used to enter parameters that can vary in the real world. Simulation, in effect, allows the real world to be tried on the computer and many real world problems can be found before the hardware is in place.

These techniques can be used for scheduling material and personnel assignments. Of equal or perhaps greater importance is the use of simulation to aid in laying out new facilities and in specifying new equipment. For a relatively small expenditure, a mathematical model of the system can help avoid major mistakes in equipment selection and line layout. Simulation can be used to establish optimum points for inspection, i.e., locations within production and the degree of inspection required.

3. Designing for Production :

This is also called Design for Production or Producibility Engineering. There are still high fences between product design, manufacturing engineering, industrial engineering, and quality control. Improved communication will bestow immense benefits. Improvements in this area will require long-term education and training.

Approaches make some attempts to review design, material and manufacturing; but the ideal approach considers and optimizes - during design - manufacturing, assembly, inspection, and shipping.

This technique could also be called Designing for Quality. If a company designed for quality, it would avoid tough specifications and related quality problems, but in addition would design into the product provisions to make quality verification easier.

4. Robots :

Industrial robots have been available for many years, but only in the very recent past have they gained wide acceptance. Most robots are very consistent. They do not introduce human errors and will accurately repeat operations hour after hour. From the point of view of quality, it is meaningless to check what they have done; instead, one should check what they are doing. They will do the same thing time after time.

Sensors depending on sight, feel, taste and hearing are rapidly evolving and the robot is getting ever smarter. A smart robot can do many of the operations currently done by quality control personnel. Much attention is being given to robots used as inspectors.

5. Flexible Automation :

Technology has made it possible to use the same automation to produce or assemble a variety of parts. Flexible automation is a complex technology involving a great many sub-technologies : automated parts selection and orientation, parts feeders handling a variety of parts, robots, automated inspection and control - all are integral parts of flexible automation. Sensing devices allow parts to be oriented and sorted for a variety of purposes. Programmable assembly and systems justify automation for limited production runs.

The availability of flexible automation will justify automation in situations and industries where it has not previously made sense. Quality control and automated inspection are integral parts of flexible automation. Such concepts as Statistical Quality Control would have no meaning since quantities would be very limited. If inspection is not done as the manufacturing proceeds, companies will lose the potential advantages of flexible automation.

6. Computer-Aided Design :

More and more manufacturers are using computers to replace - or at least supplement - engineers, designers, and draftsmen.

As CAD becomes a reality, it becomes almost inexcusable not to conduct a design review; as it is being developed, the design is available on an interactive computer terminal allowing design reviews that do not delay progress.

CAE/CAD/CAM - otherwise referred to as computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) - is evolving at a rapid rate. CAD likely has the major impact on the quality control professionals.

When computer-aided engineering (CAE) is used, there is ready access to the design proceedings, but quality professionals are likely to be ill-prepared to become significantly involved at this stage.

Downstream from CAD is computer-aided manufacturing. In this area, quality professionals should be significantly involved to verify that manufacturing approaches will produce a quality product.

7. Equipment Monitoring :

If the quality and condition of the tooling are controlled, the resultant parts should have the desired quality. By monitoring tool wear and position, the quality of the tool can be controlled. Automated inspection carried out at the point of machining in fact provides exactly the same information. It is possible to obtain the knowledge needed to adjust the tools or stop the process before bad parts are made.

If the job of the quality function is to prevent sub-standard parts from being made, equipment monitoring may well represent the point where quality should direct the most attention. The quality function would monitor the condition of the equipment rather than the products produced.

8. Near Net Shape Parts :

Die casting can produce parts requiring only finish operations. A number of other evolving processes can also provide parts requiring little if any subsequent machining. Processes such as isothermal forging, liquid forging, hot forging, and so on - all can provide near final parts. The Quality function must get involved during the development of the dies, when both the dimensions and material characteristics are established. The final operations only fine tune the parameters already established.

Considering the quality control problem generated by traditional metal forming processes and the subsequent machining, near net shape processes offer obvious quality advantages. These processes can reduce operations and the potential for non-conformances. The near net shape processes have the potential to improve quality while reducing effort.

9. Energy Beams :

The availability of energy beams - i.e., electronic beams and lasers - is changing the world of manufacturing. Instead of considering machining cells and centers, we are considering manufacturing cells and centers. The difference here is tremendous : welding, hardening, alloying, and cutting are integrated on the machine or on the line. Companies can save money because they don't have to move parts to different departments or even plants for welding, alloying, or hardening.

Flexible automated manufacturing (FAM) refers to various combinations of flexible manufacturing and such other manufacturing operations. Quality control is likely to be totally different for such manufacturing centers - certainly inspection of the final product would be difficult, if it even had any value. If a company used this approach, nothing could be inspected in the traditional way except for the final product. In-process automated inspection would seem mandatory.

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