Paper Example on Computer Integrated Manufacturing

Introduction

Computer Integrated Manufacturing is the process through which technology application regarding software and machinery is used to automate the production processes. CIM involves the use of machinery in production that is controlled by computers which increases the speed of production, accuracy, and quality of the product. The use of computer controlled machines automates the production process, and it is a process that is dependent on the computer-aided design and computer aided manufacturing which helps to reduce errors in the production process as well as helps reduce the demand for labor and automate repetitive tasks which have become synonymous with big manufacturers. Through computer integrated manufacturing, the speed of production increases through the use of real-time sensors and the closed-loop control processes. Today, computer integrated manufacturing is being used in automotive construction, aviation industry, and spaceship building (Introduce CIM Architecture. 2017).

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CIM has been adopted in industries that require heavy machinery and minimal errors to increase safety and overall output. In the CIM the manufacturing operations have a standard distribution and storage and involve an extensive infrastructure that is supported by other technology applications. The automation process architecture has enterprise resource planning, recipe management system, manufacturing execution system, advanced process control and statistical process control as its major components that are connected to the equipment through the internet to provide seamless commands and instructions to the machinery (Avishay, Pavlov, Stoler, & Kashi, 2018).

Communication between the CIM architectural elements and the machinery is essential in the completion of the command and creation of the product. The ERP in the CIM is used as the interface to integrate other applications and to ensure that the roles of other systems are synchronized to complete the computer integrated manufacturing process. The recipe management system is used to issue commands in the management of the production of a certain product through a set of instructions (Biles & Zohdi, 2006).

The recipe management system in the computer integrated manufacturing is used to identify the task to be carried out. The RMS manages the manufacturing unit by specifying how the machinery will function at every stage of production and the resources that will be provided by the ERP. The RMS has made it possible to automate the complex manufacturing processes such as automobile manufacturing and has made it possible for automobile companies to produce in bulk which reduces cost. Other architectural elements of the CIM include the manufacturing execution system which is the main function platform for the CIM and records the production history while ensuring that the operations executed are right and at the right time. The host and the client can communicate with the equipment through the SECS and with other elements of the CIM such as the MES, RMS, and APC through Ethernet connection. Using the MES, the host can send the product recipe to the machinery and collect production report. Communication is essential in the Computer Integrated Manufacturing because it ensures that the host sends product particulars to the controlling applications (Biles & Zohdi, 2006).

Pros and Cons of Computer Integrated Manufacturing

Organizations that adapt CIM enjoy high production flexibility, responsiveness to increase or decrease of production and quality. CIM has played a significant role in streamlining production and increasing safety. Its primary advantages for businesses that have adopted it such as the automobile producers is that it increases profits by increasing the overall output while reducing the cost of hiring labor. The primary objective of the CIM is that it allows manufacturing organizations to change the design of a product which optimizes production and reduce unnecessary cost. The increase in profits when an organization adopts the CIM application is that the production process becomes continuous which increase the overall output and quality. Despite the advantages enjoyed by the organizations, CIM application has its cons especially the high cost of installation and maintenance of the CIM infrastructural components which are expensive. Besides, an organization requires to retrain its employees to manage and operate a computer integrated manufacturing application. In some cases, the equipment and software that an organization has do not match the needs of CIM which forces manufacturing organizations that are seeking automation to incur high expenses in the replacements and updates of the software and the equipment to match the needs of the CIM (Morrison, 2003).

Compare Manual Operations vs. the New Computer-Aided Technology

Quality

Computer-aided technology such as CIM enhances the production cost by introducing the recipe management system and the manufacturing execution system that ensure a perfect combination of resources to create products that are free from error. On the other hand, manual operations are prone to human error which affects the production process and quality of the products. The computer-aided technology increases similarity between the products produced due to the recipe management system and the manufacturing execution system which ensure that all the products are similar. In manual operations, human create products that differ from each other (Biles & Zohdi, 2006).

Production Convenience

There is the high convenience when using computer-aided technology in production especially in repetitive and monotonous tasks. In manual production, there is less convenient because of the human nature to succumb to fatigue. Computer-aided technology ensures that the production process is continuous which increases yields or reduces them depending on the desires of the organization (Biles & Zohdi, 2006).

References

Avishay, D., Pavlov, V., Stoler, H., & Kashi, G. (2018). Application of a Capacitive Method for Technical and Economic Analysis for Process Optimization in Computer-Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) Systems. J Robot Mech Eng Resr, 2(2), 1-4.

Biles, W. E., & Zohdi, M. E. (2006). Computer-Integrated Manufacturing. Planning, 12, 03.

Introduce CIM Architecture. (2017, November 19). Total Universe News Retrieved June 19, 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQj-pyX-5-I

Morrison, J, L. (2003). Computer Integrated Manufacturing. Retrieved from: http://horizon.unc.edu/projects/OTH/1-2_tech1.asp