Two problems have cause the American manufacturing industries to weaken. First, manufacturing enterprises are not operated as integrated systems. Second, manufacturing operations are still short of scientific approaches. Issues of the science and the integration of manufacturing systems must be carefully reviewed in manufacturing education. The study of "Computer Integrated Manufacturing" is intended to address the problems. This project utilizes computing and networking equipment and software to refine the existing Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) Laboratory. Operation with Local Area Networks permits connection to mainframe, mini and micro computers. Activities in this lab include CAD/CAM/CAE. This enables the manufacturing students to see how their previous courses interact with each other. This lab introduces the picture of a continuous network within a CIM system. Problems of integration, methodologies of implementation, and standardization in manufacturing are demonstrated. The award is being matched by an equal amount from the principal investigator's institution.
