<1> ACIM system is commonly thought of as an integrated system that encompasses all the activities in the production system from the planning and design of a product through the manufacturing system, including control. CIM is an attempt to combine existing computer technologies in order to mange and control the entire business. CIM is the approach that many companies are using to get to the automated factory of the future.www.mapeng.net马棚网机械资讯

<2> As with the traditional manufacturing approaches, the purpose of CIM is to transform product designs and materials into salable goods at a minimum cost in the shortest possible period of time. CIM begins with the design of a product and ends with the manufacture of that product. With CIM, the customary split between the design and manufacturing function is eliminated.www.mapeng.net马棚网机械资讯

<3> Elements of CIM differs from the traditional job shop manufacturing system in the role the computer plays in the manufacturing process. Computer-integrated manufacturing systems are basically a net work of computer systems ties together by a single integrated data base. Using the information in the data base, a CIM system can direct manufacturing activities, record results, and maintain accurate data. CIM is the computerization of design, manufacturing, distribution, and financial functions into one coherent system.www.mapeng.net马棚网机械资讯

<4> A major element of a CIM system is a computer-assisted design (CAD) system. CAD involves any type of design activity that makes use of the computer to develop, analyze, or modify an engineering design. The design related tasks performed by a CAD system are:www.mapeng.net马棚网机械资讯

● Geometric modeling.www.mapeng.net马棚网机械资讯

● Engineering analysis.www.mapeng.net马棚网机械资讯

● Design review and evaluation.www.mapeng.net马棚网机械资讯

● Automated drafting.www.mapeng.net马棚网机械资讯

<5> Another major element of CIM is computer-aided manufacturing (CAM). An important reason for using a CAD system is that is provides a data base for manufacturing the product. However, not all CAD data bases are compatible with manufacturing software. The tasks performed by a CAM system are:www.mapeng.net马棚网机械资讯

● Numerical control (NC) or computer numerical control (CNC) programming.www.mapeng.net马棚网机械资讯

● Computer-aided process planning (CAPP).www.mapeng.net马棚网机械资讯

● Production planning and scheduling.www.mapeng.net马棚网机械资讯

● Tool and fixture design.www.mapeng.net马棚网机械资讯