In other words, software programmers are setting up the systems to take advantage of what the operators know. It can also be integrated into a factory-wide computer system. Mechanically speaking, perhaps the biggest technological enhancement comes in the form of modularity. A flexible manufacturing system no longer has to be a special machine built for a specific job. The line consists of several horizontal and vertical machining centers that are all designed similarly.
Users start with as simple or complex a system as they want.
Machines can be easily integrated into and out of the Palletech cell they essentially create based upon their needs. The same can be said of the cell's pallet system, which can be as simple as a two-pallet changer, or as sophisticated as a computerized conveyor system capable of handling 100 pallets and 4 loading stations. As needs change, machines and conveyors can be added, subtracted, or moved. The first concern that comes to mind with a design like this is the rigidity and robustness of the moving axes. To incorporate these two characteristics into the machine, its bed and columns are all one piece, with the axes' components supported by the integral columns.