This is a project to establish a Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) environment for undergraduate level CIM lecture and laboratory course. This is a new course which will be offered for the first time in Fall 1993.The project is consistent with the objectives of the Department and the School of Engineering to develop CIM education. The main goals include: (a) providing a fundamental course and well- constructed lab experiments for undergraduate students so they can function better in a modern, industrial environment, (b) utilizing a state-of-the-art computer control system to integrate the many facets of a manufacturing facility, (c) furnishing an up-to-date medium for attracting and motivating minority and women students into engineering programs. The results of this project will be reported in professional and educational journals and conferences.At present, students learn the components (design, manufacturing, and business functions) of computer integrated manufacturing. They have no opportunity to integrate the knowledge taught separately in the respective subjects. The CIM laboratory is intended to challenge the students to experiment on integration and explore different levels of hierarchical control. The equipment which will be a part of the laboratory includes 486 Personal Computers which will be networked and integrated with the Engineering Computing Center, a Puma 560 Robot, Denford NC Machine, ASRS, and a closed loop conveyor. A separate room has been allocated for the CIM Laboratory.
