Which one of the following statements about flexible automation is best?
A) Investment cost is lower when a transfer machine handles many operations.
B) Chemical processing plants and oil refineries mainly utilize programmable automation.
C) It is an automatic process that can be reprogrammed to handle various products.
D) It achieves top efficiency; accommodating new products is difficult and costly.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Flexible automation is characterized by its ability to be reprogrammed to handle different products or processes. This provides a level of versatility that is not present in other forms of automation. While investment costs may still be high, the adaptability of the system can help reduce costs in the long run. Additionally, programmable automation (mentioned in option B) is a subset of flexible automation and is not utilized exclusively by chemical processing plants and oil refineries. Option D is incorrect because, while it does achieve high efficiency, flexible automation is designed to allow for easy adaptation to new products or processes, which is why it is called "flexible."

Which One of the Following Statements About Flexible Automation Is