CIM Computer Integrated Manufacturing

Modern information technology has opened up new possibilities of flexibilization and cost reduction in production. The author defines CIM - Computer Integrated Manufacturing - as a concept for the structuring of industrial enterprises. Manufacturing technologies demand a CIM concept which can be realized through the capabilities of information processing available today. The idea of integrating different areas of CIM, such as production planning and control (PPC), computer aided design (CAD) and computer aided manufacturing (CAM), is explained through operating chains and put into a CIM architecture based on a hierarchy of EDP systems. The stance taken in this book of defining CIM as a total concept for industrial enterprises is increasingly gaining ground. The book does not aim to put the functional details of the individual CIM components (PPC, CAD, CAP and CAM) in the foreground, but rather to emphasize the integration principles for the functional demands of the individual components. This book appeared in the Federal Republic of Germany in 1987, and within one year it had run to three editions. The author contributes to this book not only his scientific knowledge but also his experience as a consultant for implementing CIM concepts.

Inhalt
A. The Meaning of the I in CIM.- I. Data and Operations Integration.- II. A Typical CIM Process Chain.- III. CIM Integration Model.- B. The Components of CIM.- I. Stage of Development of CIM Components.- II. Interfaces Between CIM Components.- C. Implementation of CIM.- I. Methods of Developing a CIM Strategy.- II. Definition of a CIM Hierarchy.- III. Manufacturers and Advisors.- IV. Implementation Steps.- V. Integration Tools.- D. CIM Prototypes.- I. Solutions not in Productive Use.- II. User Solutions.- c. Order Handling with CIM.- E. Further CIM Developments.- I. Design Stage Cost Estimation.- II. Decision Support Systems in CIM.- III. Inter-Company Process Chains in CIM.- F. References.- G. Index.