Integration of Manufacturing Resource Planning (MRP II) Systems with Computer Aided Design (CAD).

Abstract

The traditional, fragmented approach to increasing manufacturing efficiency has resulted in "islands of automation" in our factories. Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) is the goal of tying together these islands into a single coherent system capable of controlling an entire manufacturing operation. The technical and organizational difficulties of such a massive undertaking require a modular approach to CIM implementation, with an initial nucleus being gradually expanded by allowing interaction between it and other systems' databases. Manufacturing Resource Planning (MRP II) is best positioned to serve as this nucleus. The suggested first system for integration is Computer Aided Design (CAD); the integration being centered around part specification, product structure, and engineering changes. A model of the CAD/MAP II integrated system, detailing the logical interaction between the systems in the areas of part specification maintenance , engineering changes, is currently being developed , presented. Integration is to be achieved through a multi-database interoperability syatem, which uses Artificial Intelligence concepts to define , enforce the update , retrieval dependencies of the databases. Finally, the implementation strategy, which requires several stages, is also presented.