---

Version 1.0, August 31, 2001, Copyright, Hugh Jack 1993-2001

---

1. TABLE OF CONTENTS

• TABLE OF CONTENTS 1
• AUTOMATION 3
• INTRODUCTION 3
• THE BIG PICTURE 4
• PRACTICE PROBLEMS 13
• COMPUTER AIDED MANUFACTURING (CAM) 14
• FLEXIBLE MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS (FMS) 15
• OVERVIEW 15
• COMPUTER COMMUNICATION TO SUPPORT FMS 19
• THE FUTURE OF FMS 23
• PRACTICE PROBLEMS 23
• AN EXAMPLE OF AN FMS CELL 25
• THE NEED FOR CONCURRENT PROCESSING 36
• PRACTICE PROBLEMS 38
• MATERIAL HANDLING 39
• INTRODUCTION 39
• VIBRATORY FEEDERS 41
• PRACTICE QUESTIONS 41
• COMPUTERS IN THE FACTORY 42
• COMPUTER HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE 42
• IDEF MODELLING OF THE CORPORATION 44
• PRACTICE QUESTIONS 48
• INTEGRATION ISSUES 50
• CORPORATE SSTRUCTURES 50
• CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS 50
• COMPUTER CONTROLLED BATCH PROCESSES 60
• PRACTICE PROBLEMS 61
• GROUP TECHNOLOGY (GT) 63
• OVERVIEW 63
• SOME DETAILS 63
• IMPLEMENTATION 66
• GT MACHINE CELLS 67
• REFERENCES 67
• COMPUTER AIDED PROCESS PLANNING (CAPP) 68
• OVERVIEW 68
• CAPP SOFTWARE 70
• REFERENCES 71
• PRODUCTION PLANNING AND CONTROL 72
• OVERVIEW 72
• SCHEDULING 73
• SHOP FLOOR CONTROL 75
• PLANNING AND ANALYSIS 77
• FACTORS TO CONSIDER 77

Automation