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The Role of Computers

Computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) is an umbrella term that refers to the total integration of product design, engineering, process planning, and manufacturing through complex computer systems. CIM aims to increase productivity, improve quality, meet customer needs faster, and offer more flexibility. While full automation is possible, most factories currently use elements of CIM technology to help workers create high-quality products. Less than 1% of US manufacturing has fully implemented CIM, but over 40% use some CIM elements like computer-aided design, numerically controlled machines, and computer-aided manufacturing.

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45 views4 pages

The Role of Computers

Computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) is an umbrella term that refers to the total integration of product design, engineering, process planning, and manufacturing through complex computer systems. CIM aims to increase productivity, improve quality, meet customer needs faster, and offer more flexibility. While full automation is possible, most factories currently use elements of CIM technology to help workers create high-quality products. Less than 1% of US manufacturing has fully implemented CIM, but over 40% use some CIM elements like computer-aided design, numerically controlled machines, and computer-aided manufacturing.

Uploaded by

Abbas Yerima
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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The role of computers and information

technology in manufacturing:
Computer based control systems can be combined with manufacturing technology, such as
robots, machine tools, automated guided vehicles, to improve manufacturing operations. In this
role, the computer can assist integrating these technologies into a lean and efficient factory
capable of competing in world markets. Organizations such as Allen-Bradley, black and Decker,
and Boeing have used information technology and factory automation to improve manufacturing
operations. This combination of information technology and factory automation is often called
computer- integrated manufacturing. 

Computer- integrated manufacturing (CIM) blends development in manufacturing with


information technology to achieve competitive advantage. When properly organized, CIM offers
the opportunity to automate design, manufacturing and production planning and control. Each
component is described brifly here:

 Engineering design through Computer aided design (CAD) allows an organization to make high
quality specialized designs rapidly. The design can be tailored to meet individual customer
needs. 

Flexibility manufacturing systems (FMSs) can quickly produce a variety of high quality product
efficiently. An (FMSs) also allow an organization to produce high specialized designs.

Computer based production planning and control systems allow an organization to cope with the
complexity of managing facilities that produce a wide variety of specialized products without
losing efficiency.

 When properly combined, these components can yield synergetic results. An organization can
have more flexible and integrated operations, be better equipped to mange complex operations,
and exercise better controls then can a company that operates without CIM. To merge these
components into one coordinated whole, staff from the information systems functions needs to
integrate engineering, manufacturing, and business databases into a cross functional decision
support system. Once accomplished, the flexibility to respond to customer demands with low
cost, high quality specialized products becomes a powerful competitive advantage. 

The role of computer and information technology in service operations:

 Service by its definition does not have a physical dimension. However many organization
classified as a service providers, actually produced both goods and services. These hybrid
operations include restaurants which both sell food (a good) and prepare it (a service),
department store which sells products as well as the retailing service, and shops that sell parts
and offer repair services.

Mellon bank is using and expert system to successfully battle credit card fraud, which is a multi
billion dollar problems in the united stats alone. The computer based expert system examine 1.2
million account each day for many factors, such as an unusual number of transactions, charging
large accounts, changing patterns of expenditure. The system usually indicated about hundreds
cases that requires more investigation. Mellon paid about $ I million for the software and
predicted it will pay for itself in six months.

 Merck and co, one of the largest drug companies in the world, decided to completely revamp
itself its benefits system. To on roll over fifteen thousand salaried employees the old fashioned
way using printed forms would have required Merck to double its person- net stuff. The
company spends dollar 1 million to write computer software’s and install two dozen machines to
enroll itself its employees. Enrollment took just 5 weeks and not 1 person was aided to the
personal staff. Merck is using similar system to allow employees to adjust with holding
allowances their investment plan without speaking to anyone in payroll. Merck‘s software
prevents employees from selecting options for which they are not eligible or from making
obviously wrong decisions.

Computer Integrated Manufacturing – CIM


Computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) is an umbrella term for the total
integration of product design and engineering, process planning, and
manufacturing by means of complex computer systems .
We can see various articles about 'the factory of the future' in the press and other sources which
means a fully automated factory that manufactures a wide variety of products without human
intervention. Although some “people less” factories do exist and others will be built, the major
advances being made today occur in manufacturing operations where computers are being
integrated into the process to help workers create high-quality products.

Computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) is an umbrella term for the total integration of


product design and engineering, process planning, and manufacturing by means of complex
computer systems. Less comprehensive computerized systems for production planning,
inventory control, or scheduling are often considered part of CIM. By using these powerful
computer systems to integrate all phases of manufacturing, from initial customer order to final
shipment, firms hope to increase productivity, improve quality, meet customer needs faster, and
offer more flexibility. For example, McDonnell Douglas spent $10 million to introduce CIM in
its Florida factory. The computer systems automatically schedule manufacturing tasks, keep
track of labor, and send instructions to computer screens at workstations along the assembly line.
Eliminating paperwork led to an increase of 30 percent in worker productivity. Less than 1
percent of U.S. manufacturing companies have approached full-scale use of CIM, but more than
40 percent are using one or more elements of CIM technolog.

A recent study asked managers how much their companies invest in several of the technologies
that comprise CIM (Boyer, Ward, and Leong, 1996). The study focused on firms in the metal-
working industry (i.e., primary metal, fabricated metal, machinery, electronic equipment, and
transportation equipment), in which the use of CIM is believed to be most widespread. The study
measured investment on a 7 point scale (1 means no investment and 7 means heavy investment).
Computer-aided design received the highest average score (5.2), followed by numerically
controlled machines (4.8), computer-aided manufacturing (4.0), flexible manufacturing systems
(2.5), automated materials handling (2.3), and robots (2.1). Another study across all industries
found company expectations for future investments to have the same rank ordering of CIM
components (Kim and Miller, 1990). Thus, CIM is an important aspect of technology in
manufacturing, but it is just one set of tools that helps many manufacturing firms, even those
with high wages, remain competitive in the global marketplace.

These tools are given below. Please click the links to read the details and their potential benefits.

 CIM - Computer the Aided Design and Manufacturing


Computer-aided design (CAD) is an electronic system for designing new parts or
products or altering existing ones, replacing drafting traditionally done by hand. The
component of CIM that deals directly with manufacturing operations is called compute
 CIM - Flexible Manufacturing the System
A flexible manufacturing system (FMS) is a configuration of computer-controlled,
semiindependent workstations where materials are automatically handled and machine
loaded.
 CIM - Automated Materials the Handling
Materials handling covers the processes of moving, packaging, and storing a product.
Moving, handling, and storing materials cost time and money but add no value to the
product.
 CIM - Numerically controlled the machines & Industrial Robots
Numerically controlled (NC) machines are large machine tools programmed to produce
small- to medium-sized batches of intricate parts. Industrial robots are versatile,
computer-controlled machines programmed to perform various tasks.

Computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) is an umbrella term for the total integration of product
design and engineering, process planning, and manufacturing by means of complex computer systems.

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