AE:1.4.1 Overview

• The competitive world of manufacturing is requiring that computers now be used in a production environment to make things faster and more precise.

• Some basic roles of computers in manufacturing are,

- Prepare product designs for shop floor production

- Schedule jobs into machines in the factory

- Track inventory, work in process, etc.

- Control workcells

- Control of processes

• When these functions happen automatically, and don’t require human intervention, we tend to say they are part of a CIM system.

AE:1.4.2 Devices

• Basically any device that can be controlled or interfaced to a computer, and be used in automated manufacturing.

• These devices include,

- robots

- NC machines

- PLCs

- material handling