1. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.1 AA:2. AUTOMATION 1.4 AA:2.1 INTRODUCTION 1.4 AC:2.2 THE BIG PICTURE 1.5 AC:2.3 PRACTICE PROBLEMS 1.14 AE:2.4 COMPUTER AIDED MANUFACTURING (CAM) 1.15 AO:3. FLEXIBLE MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS (FMS) 1.16 AO:3.1 OVERVIEW 1.16 3.2 COMPUTER COMMUNICATION TO SUPPORT FMS 1.20 AO:3.3 THE FUTURE OF FMS 1.24 AO:3.4 PRACTICE PROBLEMS 1.24 AO:3.5 AN EXAMPLE OF AN FMS CELL 1.26 AO:3.6 THE NEED FOR CONCURRENT PROCESSING 1.37 AO:3.7 PRACTICE PROBLEMS 1.39 AA:4. MATERIAL HANDLING 1.40 AA:4.1 INTRODUCTION 1.40 AA:4.2 VIBRATORY FEEDERS 1.42 AM:4.3 PRACTICE QUESTIONS 1.42 AI:5. COMPUTERS IN THE FACTORY 1.43 AI:5.1 COMPUTER HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE 1.43 AI:5.2 IDEF MODELLING OF THE CORPORATION 1.45 AI:5.3 PRACTICE QUESTIONS 1.49 AA:6. INTEGRATION ISSUES 1.51 AA:6.1 CORPORATE SSTRUCTURES 1.51 AA:6.2 CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS 1.51 6.3 COMPUTER CONTROLLED BATCH PROCESSES 1.61 6.4 PRACTICE PROBLEMS 1.62 AQ:7. GROUP TECHNOLOGY (GT) 1.64 AQ:7.1 OVERVIEW 1.64 AQ:7.2 SOME DETAILS 1.64 AQ:7.3 IMPLEMENTATION 1.67 AQ:7.4 GT MACHINE CELLS 1.68 7.5 REFERENCES 1.68 AG:8. COMPUTER AIDED PROCESS PLANNING (CAPP) 1.69 AG:8.1 OVERVIEW 1.69 AG:8.2 CAPP SOFTWARE 1.71 8.3 REFERENCES 1.72 AS:9. PRODUCTION PLANNING AND CONTROL 1.73 AS:9.1 OVERVIEW 1.73 AS:9.2 SCHEDULING 1.74 AS:9.3 SHOP FLOOR CONTROL 1.76 AA:10. PLANNING AND ANALYSIS 1.78 AC:10.1 FACTORS TO CONSIDER 1.78