Joint organisational and technical development of CIM-systems: An extension of the classic scandinavian approach

In Scandinavia theories and methods for cooperative design tools for the computer supported craftsman have been the topics for intensive research for several years. This paper widens the discussion by taking in the question of CIM and the reshaping of the division of labour, work organisation and manufacturing processes. The paper argues for an evaluation of methods and tools developed for very different aspects of integrated manufacturing.     

A decision support system for the selection of computer-integrated manufacturing technologies

The adoption of computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) offers manufacturing organizations many tangible and intangible benefits which enable them to produce products of high quality at low costs. However, the selection and evaluation of CIM is a complex process as it involves the consideration of many parameters to ensure that the selected technology meets the requirements of individual companies. This paper describes the development of a quantitative/qualitative decision support system for the evaluation of CIM which takes into consideration the objectives and operating characteristics of a company, thus ensuring that the selected technology matches the individual needs of that company. The methodology used in the decision support system is based on a combination of the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and database technology. The AHP provides a means to consider both the tangible and the intangible benefits of CIM while databases are used to store the knowledge about the various benefits that CIM may offer. The system has been implemented in EXCEL, which fully automates the evaluation process. A case study is also presented to illustrate the capability of the proposed decision support system.     

The social shaping of technology and work: Human centred CIM systems

This paper decribes the theoretical and methodological issues involved in the social shaping of technology and work, with particular reference to human centred computer integrated manufacturing (CIM) systems. Conventional approaches to the understanding and shaping of the relationship between technology, work and human development are criticised, and an alternative, human centred approach is outlined. The methods and processes whereby the design of human centred CIM systems may be shaped and evaluated are then described and appraised.     

Intelligent Manufacturing:Present State and Future Trends

AI methods are introduced to an increasing extent in the field of CIM and robotics. This development results in intelligent CIM components – ICAD, ICAP, ICAM, ICAQ – and in intelligent manufacturing systems (IMS) as well as in intelligent robots. This new philosophy requires a lot of prerequisites and research. ICIM or IMS is partially introduced in industry but mainly for large companies. AI as knowledge based and expert systems is ready to be introduced in an efficient way in CIM components. Intelligent, mobile robots as integrated parts of CIM and IMS are ready to be used in factory automation. One of the next steps could be the introduction of Multi-Agent and/or holonic systems. In this contribution the history and the present state of flexible manufacturing, with special emphasis on robotics, are described and further trends in development – Multi Agent Systems – are discussed mainly from the viewpoint of SMEs.     

Voice: synergy in design and integration

Validating Open System Architecture in Industrial CIM Environments (Voice) is a series of ESPRIT projects addressing computer-integrated manufacturing systems and environments. Voice I was created to experiment with and validate the concepts, methods, and tools for integrating processes in computer-integrated-manufacturing systems and environments, and for optimizing manufacturing systems. One of its major accomplishments was the development of McCIM, the first online implementation of an open-system architecture, Cimosa, for CIM, McCIM uses Petri nets and an integration strategy based on evolution and incremental development to rapidly prototype actual manufacturing systems. The Cimosa architecture and the use of McCIM to validate the Cimosa modeling framework and integrating infrastructure are discussed     

A PDES/STEP-based information model for computer-aided process planning

Computer Aided Process Planning (CAPP) constitutes one of the most essential elements in Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM). Although many CAPP systems have been reported in literature during the last two decades, few of them are compatible enough to integrate easily with other systems in the CIM environment. One major reason is the lack of an effective method to represent the information required by CAPP, and to unify such information with the information of other systems in the CIM environment. Indeed, this problem has received relatively inadequate attention in the recent research of CAPP systems. In this paper, an information model for CAPP is developed by using the object-oriented modeling and the Product Data Exchange Step/STandard of Exchange Product data (PDES/STEP) techniques. The model consists of the part information model, the process plan information model, and the production resource information model. The EXPRESS language or the EXPRESS-G diagram is used to represent these models. Indeed, the proposed information model will greatly improve the CAPP system's capability of effective integration with other systems in the CIM environment, and, ultimately, to facilitate the implementation of the whole CIM strategy in manufacturing enterprises.     

CIM与工业自动化总体技术：它的目标,方法和实践

本文概述了近年国际上兴起的CIM与国内的工业自动化总体技术,阐明了其出现背景,以及它的目标、方法、参考模型和有关实践情况,在CIM参考模型和体系结构中,叙述了西欧ESPRIT的CIM/OSA模型、美国普渡大学的企业参考体系结构与CIM模型,并简述了它们在建立综合自动化系统中的主要思路。     

Expert systems for manufacturing cell simulation and design

Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) is approached by means of the application of Computer Aided Design (CAD), Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) and other CA techniques, methods and programs/program systems. These programs are often implemented as knowledge-based, or expert systems and in this way they became typical examples of engineering application of artificial intelligence. The production task of CIM systems is solved by using flexible manufacturing systems (FMSs). FMSs built up from smaller, complex units, i.e. from flexible manufacturing cells (FMCs) have several advantages. The design and the operation of manufacturing systems need new, sophisticated methods to utilize all the embedded benefits of the sophisticated and expensive elements installed for production purposes. New methods like knowledge processing technology, cooperative problem-solving techniques, etc., offer wide possibilities to design more reasonable systems. This paper describes prototype expert systems that make use of different knowledge-based tools and techniques to design (configure, reconfigure) and simulate manufacturing cells, taking into consideration technological plans and other relevant information.     

Reliability evaluation and component importance measure for manufacturing systems based on failure losses

Little work has been done to assess the reliability of a vital system like the manufacturing system. In this article, a novel and effective system reliability evaluation method in terms of failure losses has been proposed for manufacturing systems of job shop type, and then the failure losses based component importance measure (CIM) is used for importance analysis of equipment. The former indicates the present system reliability situation and the latter points the way to reliability improvement efforts. In this scheme, the problem is described and modeled by a dynamic directed network. Consider that the actual processing time of machines is to contribute to failure occurrence, it is used to calculate the failure times and failure losses. The obtained total failure times and failure losses of the system are applied to evaluate its reliability. Techniques to estimate two kinds of failure losses based CIMs are presented. They offer guidelines to realize system reliability growth cost-effectively. A case study of a real job shop is provided as an example to demonstrate the validity of the proposed methods. Comparison to other commonly used methods shows the efficiency of the proposed methods.     

Communication problems of expert systems in manufacturing environment

Recently increasingly artificial intelligent methods are used in the computer integrated manufacturing (CIM) applications. Real-time expert system shells are good tools to develop intelligent cell controllers. The first part of this paper summarises the communication problems of the expert systems in the CIM applications in the level of connection point of view. Then a research application called SSQA are shortly described with its aims and modules. The third part explains the way of the communication in SSQA.     

CIM—still the solution for manufacturing industry

In today's economic environment, enterprises that solely rely on traditional technologies cannot meet dynamic customer demands. Hence, proactive enterprises seek the application of intelligent and integrated manufacturing systems in order to meet the customer's demands and be the winners in the competitive market. Although, with available technologies and systems in Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) and its related technologies, the application of CIM in manufacturing enterprises is a reality and can meet the need of the enterprises; today mangers in many enterprises are confused with varying technologies and new terminologies that prevail in the public domain. To make adoption and implementation issues complicated, there are many researchers pursing similar concepts but in different names to solve part of the issues that are or can be addressed by a CIM system. Therefore, this paper summarises the evolution of manufacturing technologies that are associated with developments towards a CIM system, and reviewed some of the new terminologies and technologies, which were proposed during the last four decades. This review is aimed at overcoming the confusion with the new terminologies that have been generated in the past four decades. Further, this paper articulates that all these new proposals are in deed the sub-system or sub-solutions of CIM. Finally, this article focuses on latest research developments in CIM and provides a stepwise justification methodology towards a CIM system for a small or a medium enterprise.     

Decision support in computer-integrated manufacturing

This is a survey paper that addresses the issue of decision support in computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM). Since the complexity of the decision making process in manufacturing stems from the multilevel nature of the planning hierarchy, we emphasize the importance of adopting an integrated view of the planning hierarchy. We provide a framework for the development of a DSS for integrated manufacturing control that emphasizes a systems approach. Besides we consider some of the architectural aspects of a DSS in CIM. In particular, the specific architectural aspects of the management of data in CIM have been discussed at length.     

Development of a methodology for evaluating computer integrated manufacturing (CIM) implementation performance

Competitive pressures of global markets has stimulated significant interest in upgrading of process technologies in manufacturing sectors of the economy. In response to these pressures, manufacturing firms have made substantial investments in advanced manufacturing technologies involving the pervasive use of computers to integrate the various functions of the enterprise. Although there are varying reports of the performance of these computer integrated systems, there has not been any consistent method used for evaluating implementation performance from one project and organization to the next. In order to compare Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) implementation performance, effective procedures for evaluating individual projects are necessary. This paper presents an approach to evaluating CIM systems performance for comparison across a spectrum of projects.     

Current status and future trends of CIM in the Japanese steel industry

The growth of the Japanese steel industry has been supported by three factors: operation, equipment, and management technology. Computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) is the core of management technology. CIM's purpose is to improve production efficiency through computer integration of data covering the staff (design and production control) and management department as well as the production line process department (order entry, manufacturing, and shipment). In this paper, an overview of the Japanese steel industry's system development process is given and the steps taken in order to establish the CIM system are described. The organization, operation, and improvement of operational capability, along with marketing and production-related systems, are integrated. Furthermore, an integrated system model is given as a CIM conceptual model. In closing, reference is also made to the challenges facing CIM in the Japanese steel industry as well as future directions to be taken.     

DEDS理论在CIMS中应用研究回顾与展望

离散事件动态系统DEDS理论为制造系统分析设计提供了支持工具,制造技术的发展又为DEDS理论提供了实际应用背景.本文综述离散事件动态系统DEDS理论的发展及其在计算机集成制造系统CIMS中的应用研究.分析了各种DEDS方法的特点和探讨了相应DEDS模型的描述范围.扼要叙述了CIMS的发展状况.阐述了CIMS新阶段对未来DEDS理论研究的要求.     

Strategies for planning and implementation of flexible fixturing systems in a computer integrated manufacturing environment

In general, for any manufacturing operation to be successful, parts must be located and held to remain in position and orientation when subjected to external forces during the manufacturing operations. The traditional approach to fixturing involves designing and manufacturing special-purpose fixtures. These fixtures are generally dedicated devices designed and manufactured for specific parts and manufacturing operations. Flexible fixturing technology involves employing a single fixturing system to hold workpieces of various shapes and sizes. Such systems have reached the embryonic stage of implementation into manufacturing environment. Therefore the integration of current and future flexible fixturing systems into the manufacturing processes becomes an important issue for future work in computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) environment.

The approach to CIM is dependent on the functional model of the company. Therefore, the implementation of any sub-systems within it must be studied on an individual basis. However, in order to plan and implement new technologies, such as flexible fixturing systems, within CIM environment, certain requirements must be met and guidelines must be followed. The strategies for planning and implementation of flexible fixturing systems within the larger frame work of CIM environment are presented. Some guidelines for designing and developing the interconnection of the data bases are also discussed.     

An expanded SEMATECH CIM framework for heterogeneous applications integration

A significant effort in recent computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) development was carried out by SEMATECH who had laid out and created an open framework for the integration of manufacturing execution system applications running in semiconductor industries at the factory operation level. This paper presents the feasibility to incorporate basic manufacturing applications at the factory engineering level, which include product design, process planning, and material requirement planning, into the SEMATECH CIM framework to form a generic framework across both factory operation level and factory engineering level. The CIM framework established in this paper was aimed to provide a reusable integrated system framework that clearly specifies the functional interface boundaries and standard information model of the required components, in general, manufacturing systems at both factory operation and factory engineering levels. Standard unified modeling language (UML) diagrams and Petri nets have been utilized to model and analyze the specifications and dynamic behaviors of this generic CIM framework. The goal is to build a framework by creating a common, modular, flexible, and integrated object model that unifies an advanced object-oriented architecture concept and heterogeneous manufacturing application development in an open and multisupplier CIM system environment.     

Manufacturing Data Analysis in Internet of Things/Internet of Data (IoT/IoD) Scenario

ABSTRACT

Computer integrated manufacturing (CIM) has enormous benefits as it increases the rate of production, reduces errors and production waste, and streamlines manufacturing sub-systems. However, there are some new challenges related to CIM operating in the Internet of Things/Internet of Data (IoT/IoD) scenarios associated with Industry 4.0 and cyber-physical systems. The main challenge is to deal with the massive volume of data flowing between various CIM components functioning in virtual settings of IoT. This paper proposes decisional DNA-based knowledge representation framework to manage the storage, analysis, and processing of data, information, and knowledge of a typical CIM. The framework utilizes the concept of virtual engineering object and virtual engineering process for developing knowledge models of various CIM components such as automatic storage and retrieval systems, automatic guided vehicles, robots, and numerically controlled machines. The proposed model is capable of capturing in real time the manufacturing data, information and knowledge at every stage of production, that is, at the object level, the process level, and at the factory level. The significance of this study is that it will support decision-making by reusing the experience, which will not only help in effective real-time data monitoring and processing, but also make CIM system intelligent and ready to function in the virtual Industry 4.0 environment.     

EOMKIS：支持企业知识系统集成的企业本体论建立系统

ＣＩＭＳ企业经过多年的研究开发后,已经产生了许多基于知识的智能系统。由于建立方法的不同以及研究应用背景的差别,使得各个系统之间难以共享和重用。为了解决这一问题,利用本体论方法实现知识共享和重用体体论的结构化建立方法及开发系统。