COMPUTER AIDED AND INTEGRATED MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS

Computer Aided and Integrated Manufacturing Systems



Abstract

Computer integrated manufacturing(CIM) systemsare complex in terms of performing a variety of activities, maintaining a range of information and involving various classes of users with differing levels of knowledge and skills, and different levels and time spans of decision making. Much investment and effort has been made to formalize and automate the performance of the CIM elements in a manufacturing system. However, each CIM subsystem will typically have its own terminology, procedures and presentation formats. This places a heavy and unnecessary burden on users, resulting in frustration and reduced effectiveness. Research has been carried out by the Manufacturing SystemsIntegration Research Institute at Loughborough University towards the generation of a user-oriented interface for CIM systems. This research has resulted in a conceptual approach, which incorporates a generic user-task model, which enables the generation of flexible and reusable software components to form a semigeneric user interface for CIM users. The CIM user interface provides presentation tools to monitor and control the performance of the CIM elements. Advanced modelling and integration technologies have been deployed to enable the systemto cover a wide area of manufacturingdomains. These technologies include modern manufacturingmodelling architectures such as CIMOSA and GERAM, and advanced communication techniques such as those used by Web-based software applications in manufacturingenvironments. The implementation issues of the generic user interface concept, together with its application within an industrial case study are discussed in this paper.

Table of Content

Chapter One: Introduction4

Introduction / Background4

Research Aim, Objective(s), Hypotheses5

Chapter Two: Literature Review6

Design6

Manufacturing7

Application Areas7

Computers—Only an Aid8

The Process9

Hardware13

Software13

Using CAD/CAM Data in Applications16

NC Applications17

Assemblies17

Allied Applications18

Chapter Three: Methodology19

Internet-based end-users application toolkit20

Web-server application21

Web-load distributor21

Chapter One: Introduction

Introduction / Background

Many practical implementations of computer integrated manufacturing(CIM) systemsinvolve human elements in a wide range of activities . It is increasingly accepted that effective use of the human resource, and not only technology, is a key element in the success of manufacturingenterprises .

Although the effective performance of the human resource is now widely recognized as key to the efficient operation of CIM implementations , to date only limited support for human factors has been offered by CIM information and control systems. In consequence, CIM users are typically inadequately served by these systems, e.g. receiving insufficient, inadequate, excessive, unnecessary or irrelevant information, or information at the wrong level of detail, in the wrong units or over the wrong time period. In addition, terminology, procedures and presentation are typically inconsistent across the set of CIM subsystems (Zhang, 2004, pp.77).

As CIM systemcomplexity increases, the problem will worsen with regard to the complicated human relationships with various CIM elements in terms of functionality, data and user needs.

Some manufacturingcontrol systemsand modelling methods do include techniques and methods to provide appropriate information for the users. However, there are still problems with regard to the presentation, interaction and access restrictions of data for different user classes. These problems include unsuitable levels of information depending on the position of the user within the organization, various interaction and data exchange formats, inconsistency of different legacy systemsand lack of ...