Class 10-02-2023

CIM
Manufacturing Strategy: CIM

CIM is a computerized system that integrates the computer aids of the following three different functions with a
common database, i.e., it has the following contents (Figure 21.19)
1. Computer aid to the production function (automated flow of materials, which includes procurement,
production, quality control, process control, cost control, and distribution and sales), or CAM.
2. Computer aid to the design function (automated flow of technological information, which includes research
and development, product design, process design, and layout design), or CAD.
3. Computer aid to the management function (automated flow of managerial information, which includes sales
planning, production planning, and production scheduling, or CAP.
• Thus integration of the automated flow of materials and automated flow of information can be recognized as
a concept of CIM. This is the embodiment of the concept of manufacturing systems engineering. CIM is also
a realized mode of system integration (SI) with the following three features: (/) syncretism, integrating
different fields while maintaining their autonomy; (2) symbiosis, obtaining symbiotic gain; and (J) synergy,
synergistically obtaining amplification effects.
• In application, CIM is perceived as the integration of three functions: production, sales, and technology. It
intends to ensure reduction of the Leadtime and flexible adaptation to large-variety, small-batch production
through the computerized processing of the entire processes from order receipt to product shipment.
A common definition of CIM has not yet been established, but it can be understood as follows: CIM is a flexible
market-adaptive strategic manufacturing system that integrates three different functions—design, production,
and management—through an information network with computers.
CIM was advocated in 1973 by Harrington; it is now recognized as a means of corporate strategy for
manufacturing firms.
The strategies of a corporate system with CIM covering three basic areas—CAM, CAD, and CAP, together with
office automation (OA) for automated administrative functions (automated flow of administrative information,
which includes management planning and factory planning) is explained below (see Figure 21.19).
Strategy of CAM: unmanned small-lot production for a variety of products.
Strategy of CAD: quick design and product development.
Strategy of CAP: reduction of leadtime and flexible production management.
Strategy of OA: sales promotion, corporate automation, and global production.
Group Technology : 16-02-2023
Introduction to GT
• Group technology is a manufacturing philosophy in which similar parts are identified and grouped together
to take advantage of their similarities in design and production. Similar parts are arranged into part families,
where each part family possesses similar design and/or manufacturing characteristics. For example, a plant
producing 10,000 different part numbers may be able to group the vast majority of these parts into 30 or 40
distinct families. It is reasonable to believe that the processing of each member of a given family is similar,
and this should result in manufacturing efficiencies. The efficiencies are generally achieved by arranging the
production equipment into cells (machine groups) to facilitate work flow.
• Organizing the production equipment into machine cells, where each cell specializes in the production of a
part family, is called cellular manufacturing. The origins of group technology and cellular manufacturing can
be traced to around 1925
• (Historical Note 18.1).
Group technology and cellular manufacturing are applicable to a wide
variety of production situations. The following conditions are when GT is
most appropriate:
The plant currently uses traditional batch production and a process-type
layout, which results in much material handling, high in-process inventory,
and long manufacturing lead times.
It is possible to group the parts into part families. This is a necessary
condition. Each GT machine cell is designed to produce a given part family,
or a limited collection of part families, so it must be possible to identify
part families made in the plant. Fortunately, in the typical mid-volume
production plant, most of the parts can be grouped into part families.
When to implement GT
There are two major tasks that a company must undertake when it
implements group technology. These tasks represent significant
obstacles to the application of GT.
1. Identifying the part families. If the plant makes 10,000 different
parts, reviewing all of the part drawings and grouping the parts into
families is a substantial and time consuming task.
2. Rearranging production machines into machine cells. It is time-
consuming and costly to plan and accomplish this rearrangement, and
the machines are not producing during the changeover.
Advantages of implementing GT
Group technology and cellular manufacturing offer substantial benefits to
companies that have the perseverance to implement them:
 GT promotes standardization of tooling, fixturing, and setups.
 Material handling is reduced because the distances within a machine cell are
much shorter than within the entire factory.
 Process planning and production scheduling are simplified.
 Setup times are reduced, resulting in lower manufacturing lead times.
 Work-in-process is reduced.
 Worker satisfaction usually improves when workers collaborate in a GT cell.
 Higher quality work is accomplished.
What is a Part Family?

Figure 18.1 Two parts of identical shape and size but different manufacturing requirements:
(a) 1,000,000 pc/yr, tolerance = {0.010 in., material = 1015 CR steel, nickel plate; and
(b) 100 pc/yr, tolerance = {0.001 in., material = 18-8 stainless steel.
The two parts in Figure 18.1 are very similar in terms of geometric
design, but quite different in terms of manufacturing because of
differences in tolerances, production quantities, and materials. The
parts shown in Figure 18.2 constitute a part family in manufacturing,
but their different geometries make them appear quite different from a
design viewpoint.
One of the important manufacturing advantages of grouping work parts into families
can be explained with reference to Figures 18.3 and 18.4.
Figure 18.3 shows a process-type plant layout for batch production in a machine shop.
The various machine tools are arranged by function. There is a lathe department, milling
machine department, drill press department, and so on. To machine a given part, the
workpiece must be transported between departments, perhaps visiting the same
department several times. This results in much material handling, large in-process
inventories, many machine setups, long manufacturing lead times, and high cost.
Figure 18.4 shows a production shop of equivalent capacity that has its machines
arranged into cells. Each cell is organized to specialize in the production of a particular
part family. Advantages are gained in the form of reduced workpiece handling, lower
setup times, fewer setups (in some cases, no setup changeovers are necessary), less in-
process inventory, and shorter lead times.
The biggest single obstacle in changing over to group technology from a
conventional job shop is the problem of grouping the parts into
families. There are three general methods for solving this problem. All
three are time consuming and involve the analysis of much data by
properly trained personnel. The three methods are
(1) intuitive grouping,
(2) parts classification and coding, and
(3) production flow analysis.
Intuitive Grouping

This method, also known as the visual inspection method, is the least sophisticated and
least expensive method. It is claimed to be the most common method that companies use
to identify part families.
Intuitive grouping involves the classification of parts into families by experienced technical
staff in the plant who examine either the physical parts or their photographs and arrange
them into groups having similar features. Two categories of part similarities can be
distinguished: (1) design attributes, which are concerned with part characteristics such as
geometry, size, and material, and (2) manufacturing attributes, which consider the
processing steps required to make a part. Table 18.1presents a list of common design and
manufacturing attributes typically included in apart classification scheme. A certain
amount of overlap exists between design and manufacturing attributes, because a part’s
geometry is largely determined by the manufacturing processes performed on it.
Accordingly, by classifying parts into families, potential machine groups are also identified.
Parts Classification and Coding
This method is the most time consuming of the three. In parts classification and coding, similarities among parts
are identified and these similarities are related in a coding system that usually includes both a part’s design and
manufacturing attributes. Reasons for using a coding scheme include:
Design retrieval. A designer faced with the task of developing a new part can use a design retrieval system to
determine if a similar part already exists. Simply changing an existing part would take much less time than
designing a whole new part fromscratch.
Automated process planning. The part code for a new part can be used to search for process plans for existing
parts with identical or similar codes.
Machine cell design. The part codes can be used to design machine cells capable of producing all members of a
particular part family, using the composite part concept
To accomplish parts classification and coding, an analyst must examine the design and/or
manufacturing features of each part. This is sometimes done by looking in tables to match the
subject part against the features described and diagrammed in the tables.
The Opitz classification and coding system uses tables of this kind (Appendix 18A). An
alternative and more productive approach involves using a computerized classification and
coding system, in which the user responds to questions asked by the computer.On the basis of
the responses, the computer assigns a code number to the part. Whichever method is used,
the classification results in a code number that uniquely identifies thepart’s attributes.
The principal functional areas that would use a parts classification and coding system are
design and manufacturing. Accordingly, parts classification and coding systems fall into one of
three categories: (1) systems based on part design attributes, (2) systems based on part
manufacturing attributes, and (3) systems based on both design and manufacturing features.
The typical design and manufacturing part attributes have previously been noted in Table 18.1.