Computers in the Manufacturing System | Latest Manufacturing Trends
Roberto Magalhães
Need to use computers in the manufacturing sector
Factors governing increased productivity, more precision, greater shape flexibility and reduced manufacturing costs are forcing manufacturing companies to use computers in design, manufacturing and other functions associated with industrial activities.
With the increasing need for quality manufacturing, coupled with factors such as short lead time and short product lifespan, in addition to increasing consumer awareness regarding product quality, it is becoming increasingly important for manufacturers initiate measures to achieve all of this.
Developments in microelectronics in the recent past have made greater computing power available at low cost. Therefore, it becomes imperative for manufacturing to take advantage of low-cost availability and also use even more powerful computers.
Computers have been used in manufacturing industries since 1960. Initially, they were only used in support functions like inventory control, purchase accounting, etc. Today, computer applications have progressed considerably in all areas of design and manufacturing involving CAD and CAM.
Nowadays computers are not only used in manufacturing but also play an important role in all manufacturing related activities like business or financial management, factory level production management, CIM technologies, CAD, product modeling resources and solids, and CAM, manufacturing information, manufacturing system. Important sub-activities of the industrial environment have been identified to support the use of computers in manufacturing industries.
They are given below:
1. Business or Financial Management
1. Costing
2. Sales and Marketing
3. Purchase order control
4. Suppliers
5. Subcontracting
6. Personal.
2. Factory-level production management
1. Planning
2. Production Management
3. Industrial production scheduling (MPS)
4. Material Requirements Planning (MRP)
5. Just in time (JIT)
6. Bill of materials
7. Capacity Planning
8. Inventory control.
3. CIM Technologies
1. Computer Networks
2. Systems design and analysis
3. Distributed Processing
4. Manufacturing Database Management
5. Modeling and Simulation
6. Expert Systems
7. Quality Engineering.
4. Computer Aided Design (CAD)
This area is also known as Resource and Solid Modeling.
1. Variational and Parametric
2. Modeling
3. Computer Graphics
4. Chart patterns
5. Intergraphic Exchange Specification (IGES)
6. Data Interchange File (DXF)
7. Manufacturing Robot Programming
8. Design Analysis Tools
9. Programming
10. Finite element modeling (FEM)
11. Finite Element Analysis (FEA)
12. Simulation
13. Mechanisms
14. Testing and Analysis
15. Mechanical Design Tools
16. Hydraulics, Electronics, etc.
5. Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM)
This involves activities related to manufacturing information and the manufacturing system, which are presented below:
Manufacturing information
1. Generation
2. Process Planning
3. Production Planning
4. Computer Numerical Control (CNC) Parts Programming
One of the most important components for achieving various benefits associated with computer applications in production is the common databases associated with all aspects of manufacturing. In fact, all modules in CAM would be sharing the database created in any module. Any module would be able to modify the data as needed for that specific application.
This approach reduces the work involved in maintaining the product database while including the latest modifications for any aspect related to manufacturing. In contrast to the common database approach, it is sometimes possible that individual modules in the production aspects are purchased from different suppliers. In this case, care must be taken to ensure that information is transmitted properly between modules and that data is updated in all modules appropriately and at the right time.
COMPUTER APPLICATION IN ADVANCED MANUFACTURING
Some of the manufacturing activities mentioned above are controlled by computers.
These activities are commonly identified using the following terms.
1. Computer Aided Design (CAD)
2. Computer Aided Engineering (CAE)
3. Computer Aided Drafting and Drafting (CADD)
4. Computer Aided Process Planning (CAPP)
5. Computer Aided Tool Design (CATD)
6. Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM)
7. Computer Aided Numerical Control (NC) Part Programming
8. Computer Aided Scheduling
9. Computer-aided material requirements planning, etc.
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Computer use in the manufacturing sector
COMPUTER APPLICATION IN ADVANCED MANUFACTURING
