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Integration of Engineering Functions/Disciplines in CIM
Abstract
In the last few years many of the hardware and software elements necessary to establish CIM-systems (Computer Integrated Manufacturinq)have been developed but still many problems have to be solved especially concerning integration of engineering functions/disciplines into CAD/CAM and CIM in a broader context.The present paper describes the development of a number of computer aided engineering application modules (solutions) which can provide both integration and support of important mechanical design and manufacturing activities. Following subjects will be discussed: integration of engineering functions into CAD/CAM including software solutions, classification and coding, logics for selecting materials, processes etc. integrated in design, generative process planning, automated part family design and manufacture and CIM-miniature laboratory. The philosophy in developing these engineering integration and support modules has been to focus on the logics and decision making concepts so that the user easily can implement his own logics/decision structure and data without spending tine on tedious programming. Further integration of these modules to other software packages including CAD/CAM systems plays a very important role. Only by integration and utilization of common (eventually local) databases the full advantage of the new technology can be expected.
... Concurrent engineering requires a slew of computer tools to facilitate coupling between product, process and enterprise (PPE) domains. In designing an integrative CE system for an entelprise, one is immediately confronted with inconsistencies between the data sets PPE and forms [1][2][3][4][5][6][7] that describe: ...
... (e) Enterprise management and business operations [3]. ...
... For large organisations, it is not easy to accomplish a complete level of integration that is based on a 'single' data structure. Most industrial data sets that exist today are partially integrated [3]. Without system integration, it is difficult to improve an enterprise's operational efficiency or be globally competitive. ...
What does it take to change a company that has been manually creating all of its designs, and using information technology (IT) to manage the data to one where Concurrent Engineering (CE) is a process integrator? Such an integrative CE system needs to know a tremendous amount about parts, processes, and environments of a company before it can start generate any new design. The CE system needs to know the company's IT environment as well as any product specific integration logic. The resident experts must agree on the best way to make a part before any concurrent team starts laying down the integration logic. The paper describes how a CE system helps to integrate the product design, development and delivery (PD³) process based on requirements about the family of parts, features, and attributes. Supporting database information that is made integral to the CE system includes: geometry, form features, design criteria, heuristics, best design practices. Non-geometric information includes: system analysis tools, materials, assembly sequence, and, of course, the enterprise's knowledge base of design decision logic. System analysis tools include: the best of classical analysis, information modelling, and experimentation methods, blended with knowledge-based methodologies and integration logic.
Keywords: concurrent engineering; intelligent information systems; IIS; product delivery; product development; simultaneous engineering; process integration; product design; process management; systems analysis.
Journal: Int. J. of Materials and Product Technology, 1997 Vol.12, No.4/5/6, pp.279 - 287
... With increased dependency on computational and logical techniques, the recent emphasis in CE organizations has been on integrating the existing CAD, CAM, CAPP, MRP and CII systems to provide a computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) environment (see Fig[Alting, 1986]. The communication part of the CIM design is data and process: ...
... For large organizations, it is not easy to accomplish a complete level of integration that is based on a single data strncture . Most industrial data sets that exist today are partially integrated [Alting, 1986]. Without system integration, it is difficult to improve operational efficiency or be globally competitive. ...
The product development environment typically suffers from a number of shortcomings. Some are partly due to the lack of integrated tools that CE work groups has to deal with, while others are partly due to the diverse nature of an enterprise's business operations. Too often, tool related shortcomings are caused by inappropriate or inadequate computer group-ware or aids. Such aids range from hardware and software tools to technologies and standardization. Technology is used here in a generalized sense similar to its definition in Webster Dictionary, "the totality of the means employed to provide objects necessary for human sustenance and comfort [Webster, 1990]." For example, by standardizing the design plans, tools and databases of all departments, Toyota enabled design work to overlap between stages. Downstream processes can be started while design plans upstream are still being completed [Okino, 1995]. The shortcomings of business operations result from four main sources:
l. Process stagnation: Process stagnation examples include tradition (e.g., why fix if it is not broke), business, management, technical, or operational 3Ps-policy, practices and procedures.
2. Influence of infrastructural factors: Examples include factors such as culture, mind-set, legacy, and human factors.
3. Communication roadblocks: Lack of familiarity, product experience, and training among the CE teams are some typical examples of communication roadblocks.
4. Organizational roadblocks: Lack of management support, confidence, and commitment to apply CE in full force (not haphazardly) throughout an enterprise are some typical examples of organizational roadblocks.
The manufacturing industry is deeply in the paradigm shift, from an economy of scale
• To an economy of information.
* To an economy of flexibility (agility).
* To an economy of intelligent manufacturing.
With the emphasis constantly changing in an organization from old systems to new initiatives (such as systems engineering, integrated product development, knowledge-based Engineering, TQM, CALS/EDI), C4 (CAD/CAM/CIM/CAE) tools are also currently in a state of flux. The changes (from the old to the new systems) are putting additional pressure on the C4 tools. These tools are required to provide up-to-date information, at the right place, in the right time, with the right amount, and in the right format. These tools are continuously churning a variety of information at many different places during the product life-cycle, which also needs to be accessed at many more places and applications. To allow the process of product realization to take shape efficiently, tools are being redesigned to reflect an organization's collaborative and competitive posture. standardization-as in common systems, common methods, and common processes-is becoming more and more important. The quest for standardization is spreading to all disciplines, organizations, and structures like wild fires from a set of design tools:
• To distributed computing (workstations, mainframe, database)
• To work-group computing (networks, LAN, WAN, etc.)
• To data exchange tools.
... Alting suggested a generic architecture for an effective integrated system. He included in his model three general functions [10]:~ management: functions such as sales/marketing, personnel, finance/accounting, production planning and control, strategy and policỹ engineering: functions such as design, manufacturing fabrication: functions such as equipment, quality control, testing, etc. ...
In the last few years, Concurrent Engineering (CE) has become a very prevalent topic in the area of manufacturing engineering. It has been viewed as one of the most effective, potential, and miraculous cures for maintaining the winning position of the American manufacturing industry in global competition. However, because CE is such a comprehensive topic which covers a wide spectrum of areas of study, there is a need to clarify the up-to-date research activities and industrial applications in the manufacturing engineering area. This paper first discusses the history and essence of CE, and then overviews seven areas of CE study in the manufacturing engineering perspective, as well as several industrial applications of CE. Because the studies on CE are still evolving, this paper aims to stimulate further explorations by providing a thor ough survey on both theoretical and application research efforts in the past decade.
... The quest for C4 standardization is rapidly spreading to all disciplines, organizations and structures. As a result, desirable characteristics in C4 tools are changing from their original needs (Alting, 1986) as``as``design tools'': . ...
Some industrial organizations using computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) for managing intelligent product and process data during a concurrent processing are facing acute implementation difficulties. Some of the difficulties are due to the fact that CIM – in the current form – is not able to adequately address knowledge management and concurrent engineering (CE) issues. Also, with CIM, it is not possible to solve problems related to decision and control even though there has been an increasing interest in subjects like artificial intelligence (AI), knowledge-based systems (KBS), expert systems, etc. In order to improve the productivity gain through CIM, EDS focused its information technology (IT) vision on the combined potential of concurrent engineering (CE), knowledge management (KM) and computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) technologies. EDS – through a number of IT and CIM implementations – realized that CE, KM and CIM do go hand-in-hand. The three together provide a formidable base, which is called intelligent information system (IIS) in this paper. Describes the rationales used for creating an IIS framework at EDS, its usefulness to our clients and a make-up of this emerging IIS framework for integrated product development.
... L. Alting (1986) investigated functional issues in the CIM. A prototype of miniature CIM was implemented. ...
Thesis (Ph. D.)--Texas Tech University, 1998. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 178-187).
The paper presents the process planning of prismatic workpieces which are usually manufactured in a machining centre. The main interest has been laid on an automatic tool selection based on the information of tools used previously in similar manufacturing operations. A Computer Aided Process Planning System for Machining Centre Operations has been developed.
This paper describes why process selection plays a very important role in the modern factory, and describes how to build systems for process selection, that can be used by the designer while he is creating the design. Artificial intelligence and knowledge engineering offers new possibilities for automation of process selection and many other areas within manufacturing, and it will be discussed how production knowledge can be represented and handled in an expert system.Furthermore a system for selection of surface treatment processes that uses advanced knowledge engineering techniques will be presented. Surface treatment is a fast developing area with many new and improved processes, and is therefore an excellent area for investigating the possibilities for expert consulting systems. The system is based on an programming environment for expert system development, where knowledge is represented as frames and rules. This prototype system is developed as a joint program with a major Danish company.
A generic IDEFo model of process planning is presented. The complete model consists of 23 activity diagrams spanning six levels. A corresponding node index and data dictionary is included. IDEFo was found to be a powerful functional modelling technique which minimized the need for elaborate descriptive text and its graphical presentation provided a clear representation of a complex aspect of manufacturing. The IDEFo model is recognized as exhaustive in terms of capturing information but the production of diagrams requires practice that could limit its widespread use in an industrial context.
With the increasing application of high technology in manufacturing enterprises, the traditional serial or sequential production
approach has begun to be replaced by a parallel or simultaneous production approach. The functional balance of organisations
of current manufacturing enterprises is decline. The organisation within manufacturing enterprises needs to be restructured
and the functions need to be adjusted. Many production functions within an enterprise can be integrated by following the production
information. This is the premise of this exploration of simultaneous engineering in manufacturing enterprises. A functional
model of an enterprise is described in this paper. Some possibilities of functional integration within an enterprise are discussed.
Finally, some related research activities are outlined to stimulate an open discussion on the point of view.
Computer Aided Process Planning (CAPP) has been recognized as playing a key role in Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM). In the last two decades, a tremendous effort has been made in developing CAPP systems. However, the benefits of CAPP in the real industrial environment are still to be seen. In this paper, a comprehensive summary on the state-of-the-art and projection of future trends in CAPP is presented to help make decisions concerning CAPP implementation today and to aid in guiding research for tomorrow. We systematically overview the historical background of the development of CAPP and discuss the current techniques which includes the implementation approaches, GT technology, application of AI techniques, programming languages, etc., for implementation CAPP systems. About 14 well-known CAPP systems, which are based on the variant, generative or semi-generative approach, are briefly introduced in this paper. In total about 156 currently existing CAPP systems are listed in Table 1 in the appendix. Table 1 provides the general information of the existing systems, such as the characteristics of the systems, the domain of planable workpieces, implementation approaches, commercial situation, interfacing abilities, programming languages, references, and developers, etc. Future trends proposed in this paper covers the topics about interfacing, integration, AI techniques, and single data base systems, as well as PC, workstations and software migration strategy, etc., which might be used to guide coming research. More than 200 technical papers have been read and are referenced at the end of this paper.
Describes a systematic way to design and develop a generic
relational model for a tool management system in FMS. Reviews the need
for tool database management in FMS and discusses the advantages.
Highlights the requirements for a successful tool database and presents
a systematic way to design and develop a relational tool database. The
developed tool database is implemented by using the ORACLE database
management system. Finally, presents four demonstration runs.
International competition is driving manufacturing executives to
place an ever-growing importance on the formulation of computer
integrated manufacturing (CIM) strategies as part of their corporate
plans. Structured analysis and design techniques, in particular IDEF
(Integrated Computer Aided Manufacturing definition method), are
becoming a vital tool in the analysis and implementation of such CIM
strategies. This article positively demonstrates the technique and its
ability to model the link between design and manufacture in a CIM
environment. The approach relates interdependencies of planning for
manufacture, design and process planning within a CIM strategy. In
particular it establishes the position of computer aided process
planning (CAPP) in CIM architecture and evaluates a CAPP package as a
potential element of a CIM strategy. The application to which IDEFo, in
particular, has been used clearly demonstrates its usefulness to
manufacturers as a powerful aid to the development of detailed CIM
strategies.
K: Implementation to Implementation of the CAM-I Long-range Plan CAM-I
- D Allen
L: Computer Aided Tool and Die Design
- Jepsen Jensen
Lenau, FRAMEWORK of Engineering, Application Modules
- Alting Jørgensen
- Jensen Jacobsen
- Christensen
Simulation of Production Systems Current Ph
- A N E Bilberg
- Larsen