Manufacturing Information System.

This is the final report of a project to develop prototype miniature laboratory apparatus to be used in conducting a series of experiments and investigations relating to a Manufacturing Information System. The size and cost of manufacturing equipment has made it extremely difficult to perform a realistic modeling and simulation of the manufacturing process in university research laboratories. Likewise the size and cost factors, coupled with many uncontrolled variables of the production situation has even made it difficult to perform adequate manufacturing research in the industrial setting. The difficulty of developing Integrated Manufacturing Systems is well documented by the large amount of funding and effort being spent by industry and government. It was the purpose for research funded under this grant to continue the development of miniature prototype equipment for use in an integrated CAD/CAM Laboratory. The equipment developed under this grant and from previous work is capable of actually performing production operations (e.g. drilling, milling, turning, punching, etc.) on metallic and non-metallic workpieces. It is now expected that the prototype equipment developed or otherwise acquired under this grant will now provide the basis for extensive research on Manufacturing Information Systems, Common Database Development, CIM Application Program Development, Local Area Networking, and Knowledge-based CAD/CAM Training utilizing Interactive Videodisc Delivery Systems. Originator-supplied keywords included: Manufacturing, Integrated, Information, Flexible, Distributed, System, Assembly Language, Computer Programs, Mechanical Drawing.