ABSTRACT
The computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) factory of the future will look quite different from the factory of today. The factory of the eighties must combine the following characteristics: efficiently integrated and continuous operations; flexible and economical in the face of change; effectively organized for maximum productivity and satisfied employees; and produce a quality and cost-competitive product. CIM involves the integration and coordination of design, manufacturing, and management using computer-based systems. Computer-integrated manufacturing is not yet a specific technology that can be purchased, but rather an approach to factory organization and management. There are two different schemes for CIM: in vertically integrated manufacturing, a designer would design a product using a computer-aided design system, which would then translate the design into instructions for production on computer-aided manufacturing equipment. A vertically integrated factory usually implies maximum use and coordination of all programmable automation technologies, and can involve much more centralized control of manufacturing processes than a non integrated production process.
