ABSTRACT
We have concentrated on engineering data and a corresponding engineering data base with only some broad hints concerning manufacturing. Part family attributes, producibility tips, part geometry for numerically controlled (NC) machine tools, and family routings have been described as a requirement for an integrated engineering manufacturing CAD/CAM system. It is necessary to extend the discussion into the actual manufacturing operations. Thus we shall divide manufacturing systems into the following categories:
The "jungle"
Order from chaos
The "pipe line"
Routing-processes
Material scheduling
Production economies
Group technology
Numerically controlled machine tools
Robots
Manufacturing drawings
Inventory analysis
Engineering-manufacturing family data base
The integrated future
We shall also, once again, emphasize implementation pitfalls which may occur if a CAD/CAM system is installed without careful planning. It is probably more important to emphasize potential problems in manufacturing than in engineering, since many significant productivity increases and savings will become available with the proper planning.