Computer Integrated Manufacturing

CIM sums up all of the manufacturing functions of CAD/CAM along with firm's business functions which are associated to manufacturing. CIM system includes the application of computer & communication technologies to all of the operational functions & information processing functions beginning from the order receipt through design & production to product delivery. Given figure depicts the scope of CIM and its comparison with the restricted scope of CAD/CAM.

The major aim of the CIM is to incorporate the firm's operations associated to production in an integrated computer system to assist, augment, and automate the operations. Computer system touches all of the activities during the firm that support manufacturing. In CIM, the output of one's activities act like input to the other activity and it begins with the sales order and finishes with its delivery. The components of the integrated computer system are shown in figure. At first, customer's orders that contain the specifications explaining the product are entered by either the company's sales force or directly by the customer into a computerized order entry system. Product design department takes these specifications as the input.

Manufacturing engineering takes its input from the output of the design department where process planning, tool design, and same activities are supported by the CIM system. CAPP performs process planning. On a CAD system, by using the product model which is produced during product design, tool & fixture design is complicated. Manufacturing engineering gives its output into production planning & control, where material requires planning and scheduling are performed via using the computer system.