Currently, the global manufacturing industry is rapidly moving towards a digital and intelligent era, and intelligent manufacturing is having an increasingly significant impact on the competitiveness of the manufacturing sector. Generally speaking, intelligent manufacturing is about achieving information-based manufacturing under ubiquitous sensing conditions throughout the entire product lifecycle. To achieve this, a powerful Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) platform is indispensable.
CIM (Computer-Integrated Manufacturing), also known as computer-integrated manufacturing or computer-comprehensive manufacturing, is a system that integrates and manages all activities in the manufacturing process using information technologies such as computers, networks, and communications. Since its inception, CIM has been continuously enriched and developed over the years, driven by industrialized countries worldwide, evolving from a period of diverse conceptual debates to a period of vigorous growth. Its main purpose is to integrate various independent automated systems within a factory to maximize overall efficiency and avoid the formation of isolated automation silos.
The CIM system has three basic key elements to achieve the goal of flexible design and production:
1. Methods for storing, retrieving, using, and presenting data.
2. Detection status and self-correction mechanism
3. A method combining various distributed subsystems
The following is a framework diagram of an application system for a high-tech manufacturing enterprise, in which CIM includes three layers: production management, equipment monitoring, and logistics control.
The automated construction of CIM requires three core systems: MES, Auto, and DSP. We will introduce them one by one below.
MES
Manufacturing Execution System (MES) is an information management system for manufacturing workshops. It is both an environment and an architecture, integrating real-time information with other information systems (such as production process planning systems) to link enterprises, factories, or process control systems. In high-tech industries such as ICs, LCDs, PCBs, and electronic components, the complexity of manufacturing processes and the frequent occurrence of abnormal production situations such as batching, batch merging, skipping batches, outsourcing, order insertion, and order withdrawal make it difficult for manufacturing-related modules in ERP systems, which are primarily based on finance and accounting, to handle the demands. Therefore, dedicated systems designed from the factory operations perspective have emerged. MES is used in manufacturing production to proactively collect and monitor production data generated during the manufacturing process to ensure product quality, improve enterprise processes, and increase production efficiency.
Auto
Machine automation (Auto) primarily focuses on five main areas: work-in-process management, production data collection, process parameter management, transfer management, mixed batch management, and online sampling management.
Common machine automation systems include two architectures:
1. BC (Block Control System): The Chinese name is "Equipment Line Control System". It is used to integrate the communication between various equipment on the production line. Its main tasks are to transmit the process parameters of MES to each equipment, control the balance of WIP, record the relevant parameters of each WIP during the production process, and report back to the MES system at the end of the process.
2. EAP (Equipment Automation Program): The Chinese name is "机器自动程序" (Machine Automation Program). It is used as an interface program between the equipment master computer (ControlPC, CPC) and MES. It has little logic of its own. Its main task is to convert the data of the equipment master computer into a message that MES can accept.
DSP
Automated dispatching systems (DSPs) are the core systems for achieving automated production and unmanned factories. The most widespread application of DSPs is in semiconductor and LCD panel FAB (Fabrication Equipment) plants. They integrate MES (Manufacturing Execution System) production data and MCS (Machine Learning System) logistics data to calculate optimal dispatching efficiency in real time, quickly and accurately moving carriers (semiconductor carriers) to their destinations, reducing equipment downtime and minimizing issues affecting product quality. They primarily have the following three functions:
1. LoadRequest: When the equipment starts production, the optimal Carrier is calculated and automatically dispatched to the machine.
2. UnloadRequest: Once product production is complete and the optimal destination is calculated, the Carrier is automatically returned from the equipment to the Stocker (warehouse).
3. S2S: Maintain the safety level and optimal number of carriers among all stockers.
In a sense, CIM (Computer Integrated Manufacturing) is a philosophy and guiding principle for modernizing production. It leverages computer hardware and software, comprehensively utilizing modern management, manufacturing, information, automation, and systems engineering technologies to integrate the three key elements of people, technology, and management throughout the entire production process, organically integrating and optimizing their information and material flows. As an innovative technology company incubated by TCL, Greatek Technology possesses industry-leading experience in CIM automation construction and is committed to deeply integrating cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), big data, and cloud computing with manufacturing industry experience to create an industry-leading "Manufacturing x" industrial internet platform. Simultaneously, it provides high-quality, secure, and efficient management IT services to various enterprises, helping them reduce costs, increase efficiency, and win market competition.
Disclaimer: This article is a reprint. If it involves copyright issues, please contact us promptly for deletion (QQ: 2737591964 ) . We apologize for any inconvenience.
