Material Handling Systems
Material handling and storage within a FMS has to be planned carefully such that the flow of parts through the system will not be hampered by it. The points that require to be considered for selecting the type of material handling systems are :
- Random, independent movement of workpieces between stations,
- Handle a range of workpiece configurations,
- Temporary storage,
- Convenient access for loading and unloading of workpieces, and
- Compatible with computer control.
The major automated material handling systems that are generally used in FMS are :
- Automated Guided Vehicles (AGV),
- Robots, and
- Automated Storage and retrieval Systems (AS/RS).