Exercise 29. Make up your own story about FMS according to the following

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The prospect of automation and flexibility presents 
The general objectives of FMS are 
3. 
The Main Components of FMS
A set of work stations contains 
A material-handling system does not require 
A network of supervisory computers is capable of
Storage is performed 
Exercise 30. Write an e-mail to your friend about your visit to the plant accom-
modating automated cells for milling, drilling, and other operations.
PROJECT WORK
Exercise 31. Compile information about FMS and participate in a project. Give 
reasons why this field is of great interest to you as a future engineer. Present 
the project to your group. You may use the following websites: www.magne-
motion.com , www.ikaprocess.com, www.atab.se
ADDITIONAL READING
Exercise 32. Make a summary of the text using the following phrases: 
1. The title of the text is… 
2. The text is about… The text deals with… 
3. The text covers such points as… first… second… third… 
4. It should be underlined that… 
5. In conclusion, I may say that… 
6. To my mind… In my opinion…
FMS BENEFITS AND DRAWBACKS
A flexible manufacturing system (FMS) is an approach to arranging the 
production effort of a business so that it is possible to change or adapt manu-
facturing policies and procedures with relative ease. The idea behind this type 
of flexibility is often to allow the business to anticipate and shift priorities de-
pending on innovations in technology or shifts in demand for the company’s 
products. There are some benefits and liabilities associated with a flexible 
manufacturing system that should be considered before attempting to use this 
approach for company operations. 
One of the main benefits of a flexible manufacturing system is the change 
to adapt the operation to meet emerging demands for certain products by cus-
tomers. Doing so can aid the business in capturing a significant market share 

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and enjoying increased revenues for as long as the demand for those prod-
ucts remains in place. For example, a textile plant that operates with a flex-
ible manufacturing system may be able to adapt quickly carding and spinning 
machinery to accommodate the production of corduroy instead of terry cloth, 
if the general public begins to demand more clothing made with corduroy, 
then shift back to the production of terry cloth once the trend has subsided. 
Another advantage of a flexible manufacturing system is the chance to mini-
mize labour costs during seasonal downturns, and then to increase the labour 
force during busy seasons. This approach can be achieved by cross training 
employees who can take on additional responsibilities during lean seasons, and 
then turn a portion of those responsibilities over to part-time personnel during 
busy seasons. The end result is efficient operation that still helps keep the cost 
of production for each unit produced under a certain level. 
While there are some benefits of a flexible manufacturing system, there are 
also a few potential drawbacks that should be taken into consideration. Con-
verting to this type of arrangement often has a significant up-front cost, since 
machinery may have to be modified to allow for an easier conversion of goods 
produced. This approach also often calls for changing the corporate culture, 
a process that can take a lot of time and result in some loss of efficiency in the 
short-term. Technological barriers may also slow the efforts to be more adapt-
able, requiring additional planning to overcome those obstacles and creating 
additional expense for the company. Before deciding that a flexible manufac-
turing system is the right option, company owners should weigh the benefits 
against the liabilities and decide if the effort will ultimately be in the best inter-
ests of the company. 
The common word for today’s manufacturer is “agility”. An agile manu-
facturer is one who is the fastest on the market, operates with the lowest total 
cost and has the greatest ability to “delight” its customers. FMS is simply one 
of the ways for manufacturers to achieve this agility. 

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