COMPUTER-INTEGRATED MANUFACTURING (CIM)

- completely automated environment with the objective of eliminating non-value added activities.
- makes use of group technology cells composed of various types of CNC machines to produce an entire
part from start to finish in one location.
- employs automated storage and retrieval systems and robotics
- supports flexible manufacturing by allowing faster development of high-quality products, shorter
production cycles, reduced production costs and faster delivery times

AUTOMOTATED STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL SYSTEMS (AS/RS)

- computer-controlled conveyor systems that carry raw materials from stores to the shop floor and
finished products to the warehouse
- reduced errors, improved inventory control and lower storage costs

ROBOTICS
- programmed to perform specific actions over and over with a high degree of precision and are widely
used in factories to perform jobs such as welding and riveting.
- useful in hazardous environments or for performing dangerous and monotonous tasks that are prone
to causing accidents

COMPUTER-AIDED DESIGN (CAD)

- used by engineers to design better products faster
- increase engineer’s productivity, improve accuracy automating repetitive design tasks, and allow firms
to be more responsive to market demands
- greatly shortens the time frame between initial and final design
- allows firms to adjust their production quickly to changes in market demand
- allows them to respond to customer requests for unique products
- have an interface to the external communication network to allow a manufacturer to share its product
design specifications with its vendors and customers
-Advanced CAD can design both product and process simultaneously
- management can evaluate the technical feasibility of the product and determine its manufacturability

COMPUTER-AIDED MANUFACTURING
- use of computers to aid the manufacturing process
- focuses on the shop floor and the control of the physical manufacturing process
- CAD design is converted by CAM into a sequence of processes by CNC machines
- monitors and controls the production process and the routing of products through the cell
- benefits: improved process productivity, improved cost and time estimates, improved process
monitoring, improved process quality, decreased setup times and reduced labor costs