3/3/24, 8:12 PM Assignment on Computer Integrated Manufacturing Free Essay Example

Of the three words that comprise CIM, the middle word - integrated - is perhaps the most
critical [1]. Integration of capital, human resource and equipment is vital to the successful
operation of any manufacturing operations. This word alone implies that haphazard or ad
hoc application of technology is strongly discouraged within a CIM framework. The
integration is strongly oriented around the computer systems within an organization,
whether they be computers in the accounting department, numerical control units in the
production plant or point of sales units on the shop floor.

Although computers were invented around the 1950s (PCs), the concept and applications
of CIM have been around only since the late 1980s and early 1990s. The reasons for this
have been twofold. Firstly, until the early 1990s computer systems were usually large,
bulky and expensive units that were not suitable for manufacturing purposes. Only
business function units such as accounting and payroll could make truly effective use of
computers and hence justify the large capital costs [2].

The second reason revolves around the very complex business of actual integration of
business and manufacturing functions within an organization. Manufacturing organizations
usually deal with a large number of 'independent'. The tasks can range from determining
market demand, planning production, carrying out specific manufacturing operations and
processes, assuring quality control and transport both internally and externally. This task
has become increasingly difficult within today's sophisticated global markets and
sophisticated products suites [2].

History and Evolution

CIM has been developing and growing since the 1970s, but it was not until the late 1980s
that CIM was expanded into a field by itself. Industry realized that CIM was not just a
fanciful luxury, but also a necessity in the ever more sophisticated and competitive global
economy. The primary factors that have led to the development of the CIM concept and its
associated technologies are [2],

1. Development of Numerical Control

2. The advent of cost-effective computers

3. Islands of Automation

Development of Numerical Control

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