Computer-aided manufacture: A review and report on the CAM-78 conference

Abstract

Computer aids are now affecting most branches and activities of manufacturing industry. Developments such as microprocessors are expected to have a very significant impact, not only on the techniques of controlling manufacturing processes but also on social and economic factors such as the pattern of employment. Computer-aided manufacture has developed out of the field of numerical control of machine tools. There was an early bias towards metal-cutting operations, but more recently there have been significant applications in metal forming, in particular to the design and production of dies, moulds and other forming tools. Current research is leading to the integration of processes and handling systems and to integrated engineering, production and business data processing systems. This paper identifies the main areas of development within the field of computer-aided manufacture, principally by reviewing the contributions to the CAM-78 conference. These areas include: automated small-batch production; group technology and layout planning; process planning; numerical control programming systems; computer-aided design and manufacture; computer-aided production control; scheduling and shop-floor control; handling; machine-tool control.