Production planning--Data processing

The future of manufacturing industry is extending from the high profile systems like CAD and CAM, to a system that provides real time knowledge towards the manufacturing process. Computer Aided Process Planning (CAPP) is such a system. The computer provides the CAPP system a means to store and search previously developed process plans to find a similar process for a current part. In this research a CAPP application was developed using dBase IV, to provide a link between manufacturing process plans and engineering data. The relational database used provides an effective way to manage and manipulate manufacturing process information. The application uses engineering and manufacturing data from Curt G. Joa, Inc., to verify its operation. The development of the application, its corresponding computer programs, and literature survey are discussed in this thesis.

An Object-Oriented Process Planning (OOPP) system that generates a particular process plan for Printed Circuit Board (PCB) fabrication is developed. The OOPP is an integrated system that access the manufacturing database, which includes the fabrication processes and the main parameters of Printed Circuit Boards. An Object-Oriented approach has several benefits which include a modular system structure that combine procedures (programs) with data values, improving the communication among different manufacturing activities, and achieving less system maintenance and down stream errors. OOPP system based on Group Technology (GT) concept and PCB fabrication rules. Applying Group Technology within Object Oriented process planning structure is a new application in this field. This gives more flexibility to the system and presents a technique that intends future reuse.