Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) is the computerized handling of integrated operational processes between production planning and control, design, process planning, production, and quality assurance. The consistent application of information technology, along with modern manufacturing techniques and new organizational procedures, opens up great potential for rationalization by speeding up processes, thereby reducing stocks and improving product structure and delivery times. Following a comprehensive justification of the CIM integration principle, this book discusses the current state of applications and new demands arising from the integration principle as applied to the individual CIM components. The interfaces between business and technical information processing are considered in detail. The main emphasis, however, is on strategies for realization and implementation based on concrete experi- ence. The "Y-CIM information management" model, developed and tested at the author's institute, is presented as a procedural method for implementing CIM and demonstrated using up-to-date examples. In addition to the procedure for developing a CIM strategy, concrete sub-projects are developed which are directed at specific sector or enterprise structures. The survey of further CIM developments including design stage cost estimation, use of expert systems and inter-company process chains have proved to be effective CIM components since the first edition of this book and are now treated in the main text. Six German and five American industrial implementations are presented to illustrate the diverse areas of emphasis in the implementation sequence, and to indicate how CIM can be realized with currently available data processing tools.

The Current state of expectations is that Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) will ulti mately determine the industrial growth of world nations within the next few decades. Computer Aided Design (CAD), Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM), Flexible Manufacturing Systems (FMS), Robotics together with Knowledge and Information Based Systems (KIBS) and Com munication Networks are expected to develop to a mature state to respond effectively to the managerial requirements of the factories of the future that are becoming highly integrated and complex. CIM represents a new production approach which will allow the factories to deliver a high variety of products at a low cost and with short production cycles. The new technologies for CIM are needed to develop manufacturing environments that are smarter, faster, close-cou pled, integrated, optimized, and flexible. Sophistication and a high degree of specialization in materials science, artificial intelligence, communications technology and knowledge-information science techniques are needed among others for the development of realizable and workable CIM systems that are capable of adjusting to volatile markets. CIM factories are to allow the production of a wide variety of similar products in small batches through standard but multi mission oriented designs that accommodate flexibility with specialized software.

Combining manufacturing systems with management techniques, this integrated approach to designing and developing CIM systems provides a multi-disciplinary, system-oriented background understanding of advanced manufacturing issues and strategies. It also offers design methods that can be used to create competitive manufacturing systems. The text's methods include assessing problems, determining solution approaches and developing and integrating systems based on relevant engineering, science and management disciplines. Software is included for a simple system-environment simulation (SES) model that illustrates the application of key concepts. Real-world application design models are applied to specific system examples. The author discusses design principles within a comprehensive framework, providing a context for understanding manufacturing operations and relationships. Throughout the text, the integrated technical and management considerations aim to encourage effective CIM team management.

This book will give a competitive edge to students of manufacturing, managers in industry, and anyone involved in specifying, implementing and using CIM systems.

Computer Integrated Manufacturing: From Fundamentals to Implementation is based on a course in computer integrated manufacturing (CIM) which is part of the Production Engineering Tripos for postgraduate-level students at Cambridge University. The book is intended to provide a thorough coverage of a difficult subject, and to communicate principles as well as something of current practice. This should give a firm basis of knowledge in CIM, and develop an understanding that will be valid for many years in changing business and manufacturing environments. The book covers CIM and manufacturing systems at a technical level, from description of the conventional ""islands of computerization"" to the components of CIM architecture. The business objectives of CIM are described, from analysis of the business environment to cost justification and implementation of CIM systems. CIM is seen as a business tool and not as an end in itself. Each individual and company needs to adapt the tools described in this book to best effect. Study of this book should enable postgraduate students and professional engineers to deal confidently with the subject and use CIM techniques profitably.

Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) is the computerized handling of integrated business processes among all different functions in an enterprise. The consistent application of information technology, along with modern manufacturing techniques and new organizational procedures, opens up great potential for speeding up processes. This book discusses the current state of applications and new demands arising from the integration principle. It mainly emphasizes on strategies for realization and implementation based on the author's concrete experience. The "Y-CIM information management" model is presented as a procedural method for implementing CIM. The third edition has been supplemented by up-to-date specified examples of applied CIM solutions and transfer strategies.