AUTOMATED MANUFACTURING: PROCESSES AND TECHNOLOGIES

Abstract

Through last few decades the manufacturingsector contributed greatly to the continuous rise inproductivity of American industry and consequently to thestandard of living. The application of automation tomanufacturing processes played an important role indramatically improving its productivity and efficiencies. Lastthree decades brought not only an automation of individualmanufacturing processes but also, with development ofsoftware tools, the total integration of the design,procurement, and manufacturing processes. Further,integration of all aspects of the design, monitoring andmanufacturing includes implementations of total qualitymanagement with its quality control tools. The advances thatonly yesterday were subject of theoretical investigations orfuturistic predictions are becoming a reality. The purpose ofthis paper is to review state of the art automatedmanufacturing processes and technologies available todayfor industrial practice with focus on companies in WesternPennsylvania. The information will be directly applicable toengineering education instructions.

Index Terms - Automation, Manufacturing, Prototyping,Technology.