Computers play two key roles in industrial manufacturing: (1) monitoring and controlling the manufacturing process, and (2) providing various support applications related to pre- and post-manufacturing operations. These support applications include computer-aided design, engineering, manufacturing, process planning, tool design, scheduling, and material requirement planning. The use of computers in manufacturing can lead to quality improvements, shorter lead times and product lives, and increased consumer satisfaction by enabling functions like CAD, CAM, CAPP, and CAP.

1. Computers in Industrial Manufacturing
The role of computer in manufacturing may be broadly classified into two
groups:
1. Computer monitoring and control of the manufacturing process.
2. Manufacturing support applications, which deal essentially with the
preparations for actual manufacturing and post-manufacture operations.
operations.

2. Computers in Manufacturing
• Second category: The types of support that can be
envisaged are:
• Computer aided design and drafting,
• Computer aided engineering,
• Computer aided manufacturing,
• Computer aided process planning,
• Computer aided tool design,
• Computer aided NC part programming,
• Computer aided scheduling,
• Computer aided material requirement planning, etc.

3.  The need of following requirements  the use of low-cost but powerful
computers:
 Quality manufacturing
 Short lead times
 Short product lives
 Increasing awareness of consumer for quality product
 The influence of computers in manufacturing environment is shown in next slide.
 The role of computers in manufacturing:
 Computer monitoring and controlling of the manufacturing process
Monitoring and controlling functions in manufacturing
 Manufacturing support applications
Related to actual-manufacturing and post-manufacturing operations
 Computer monitoring and controlling of the manufacturing process
 Build-in specifications in computer memory initiates suitable actions for the purpose of regulating
process through the monitor of parameters. Alternately, this can be done by a human operator

4. Computer Aided
Design (CAD)
Manufacturing
Systems
Computer Aided
Manufacturing
(CAM)
Business Data
Processing System

5. Manufacturing Support Applications
The use of computers:
 CAD (Computer Aided Design) – To develop geometric model of the product such that the geometric
and manufacturing requirements can be examined.
 CADD (Computer Aided Design and Drafting) – Combining CAD function with drafting to generate the
production drawings of the part for the purpose of downstream processing.
 CAE (Computer Aided Engineering) – To support basic error checking, analysis, optimization,
manufacturability, etc. of a product.
 CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing) – To develop the Computer Numerical Control part programs for
machining and other processing applications.
 CAPP (Computer Aided Process Planning) – To generate the process plans for the complete
manufacturer of products and parts.
 CATD (Computer Aided Tool Design) – To develop the tools for manufacturer such as jigs and fixture,
dies and moulds.
 CAP (Computer Aided Planning) – For the purpose of planning functions such as material requirement
planning, computer aided scheduling, etc.
 CAQ (Computer Aided Quality Assurance) – For the purpose assessing the inspection methods and
developing quality control and assurance functions.
 CAT (Computer Aided Testing) – As the software tools that can take a system through its various
phases of operations and examine the response against the expected results.

6. Computers in Manufacturing
• Reduction of design costs by 15-30%
• Reduction of the in-shop time of a part30-60%
• Increase of productivity by 40-70%
• Better product quality,reduction of scrap 20-50%