COMPUTER INTEGRATED

MANUFACTURING
BY: PRAJWAL JAISWAL
DELHI TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
WHAT DOES COMPUTER-INTEGRATED MANUFACTURING
(CIM) MEAN?

• Computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) refers to the use of computer-

controlled machineries and automation systems in manufacturing products.
CIM combines various technologies like computer-aided design (CAD) and
computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) to provide an error-free
manufacturing process that reduces manual labor and automates repetitive
tasks. The CIM approach increases the speed of the manufacturing process
and uses real-time sensors and closed-loop control processes to automate
the manufacturing process. It is widely used in the automotive, aviation,
space and ship-building industries.
CIM is a manufacturing approach that provides a complete
automation of a manufacturing facility. All the operations
are controlled by computers and have a common storage
and distribution. The various processes involved in a CIM
are listed as follows:
• Computer-aided design
• Prototype manufacture
• Determining the efficient method for manufacturing by
calculating the costs and considering the production
methods, volume of products, storage and distribution
• Ordering of the necessary materials needed for the manufacturing
process
• Computer-aided manufacturing of the products with the help of
computer numerical controllers
• Quality controls at each phase of the development.
• Product assembly with the help of robots
• Quality check and automated storage
• Automatic distribution of products from the storage areas to awaiting
lorries/trucks
• Automatic updating of logs, financial data and bills in the computer
system
CIM is a combination of different applications and technologies like
CAD, CAM, computer-aided engineering, robotics, manufacturing
resource planning and enterprise management solutions. It can also
be considered as an integration of all enterprise operations that
work with a common data repository.
The major components of CIM are as follows:
• Data storage, retrieval, manipulation and presentation mechanisms
• Real-time sensors for sensing the current state and for modifying
processes
• Data processing algorithms
• The Computer Integrated Manufacturing Open System Architecture
(CIMOSA) was proposed in 1990 by the AMCIE consortium to provide
an open systems architecture that specifies both enterprise modeling
and enterprise integration required by CIM environments.
• The CIM approach has found a wide range of applications in industrial
and production engineering, mechanical engineering and electronic
design automation. CIM increases the manufacturing productivity and
lowers the total cost of manufacturing. It also offers great flexibility,
quality and responsiveness.
WHAT IS CIM AND HOW DOES IT WORK?

• In straightforward terms, CIM is the technique of using computers

to control an entire production process. It’s commonly used by
factories to automate functions such as analysis, cost accounting,
design, distribution, inventory control, planning and purchasing.
• These functions are often linked to a central, computer-controlled
station to enable efficient materials handling and management,
while delivering direct control and monitoring of all operations
simultaneously. Essentially, every individual piece of a
manufacturing process including engineering, production and
marketing is organized.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF CIM?

• The sole objective of computer-integrated manufacturing is to

streamline production processes, delivering the following
benefits:
• Reduced costs – i.e. the cost of direct and indirect labour
• Improved scheduling flexibility
• Reduced downtime
• Maintaining correct inventory levels
 WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES OF CIM?
Computers are prone to damage, especially in an industrial setting. The knock on
effects of computer failure, for an enterprise that relies solely on computers remaining
operational, can be catastrophic and result in:
• Extended periods of downtime
• Idle staff
• Reduced production
• Increased lead times
• Customer dissatisfaction
• Reputational damage
• Loss of market share
• When integrated, CIM is responsible for the complete
production process. With so much riding on its performance,
it’s baffling that many manufacturing firms fail to invest in
adequate protection for what is undoubtedly a capital asset.
• For instance, specially designed environmental computer
enclosures are readily available and exist to protect CIM
processes. They are a safe-haven for computers, shielding
against external elements such as dust, dirt and liquids and
even forklift trucks, just in case ‘Dave’ accidentally reverses
into a computer that’s critical to a production operation.
• Another key challenge facing CIM is a skills shortage. Many
manufacturing firms are lacking skilled-technicians able to
operate those systems crucial to CIM. In some quarters, CIM
has been slammed for causing jobs losses. In fact, it creates
more jobs, but there’s a lack of skills among the current
manufacturing workforce, which makes things slightly
complicated.
That said, CIM represents an opportunity to upskill the current
manufacturing workforce. Ultimately, CIM can benefit
manufacturing facilities two-fold:
• 1) By improving the overall production process.
• 2) By improving the skillset of the current workforce.
THANK YOU!