Glossary · Manufacturing systems
Work cell
Also known as: Manufacturing cell, Production cell, Robot cell
German: Fertigungszelle
In manufacturing, a work cell is a grouping of machines, equipment and often robots, arranged around one or a few related operations or a part family, usually with its own material handling and safeguarding.
- Manufacturing systems
In one sentence
A work cell groups machines, equipment and often robots around related operations or a part family, with its own handling and safeguards.
Example
The welding work cell contains two robots, a turntable and a light curtain at the loading station, all behind a perimeter fence.
How it applies
- Engineering: Cells are designed around a part family and a material flow, often in a U-shape for manual cells or behind a fence for robotic cells. A cell controller coordinates the equipment.
- Safety: Robotic cells typically use a Perimeter guard, interlocked doors and presence-sensing devices at loading stations. The cell integrator performs the risk assessment for the whole cell, since combining equipment creates new hazards.
- Operation: Operators load and unload parts, change tools and respond to faults. Access procedures and operating modes are central.
- Documentation: Provide a cell-level manual that covers layout, safeguarding, operating modes, start-up and recovery, and refers to the manuals of the individual machines and robots.
Work cell vs. work center
A work cell is a physical arrangement of equipment. A Work center is a planning unit in ERP, which may correspond to a cell, a machine or a group of workplaces.