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Unit 11 Automating Manufacturing Systems
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This period in history began in 1945 with the
development of the first electronic computer. It
was called the ENIAC (Electrical Numerical
Integrator and Calculator). See Figure 34-4. From
this dramatic start, came the mainframe computer,
the minicomputer, and the microcomputer that
operate today in almost every facet of the public
and private community.
Components of an
Automated System
All efforts to automate manufacturing are
guided by a few basic goals. These include:
✲ Reducing manufacturing costs
✲ Increasing product quality and consistency
✲ Enhancing manufacturing flexibility
✲ Improving marketability of products
✲ Reducing the reaction time to changes in market demands
These goals have caused most manufacturing companies to adopt labor-
and material-saving practices, programs, and systems. A number of these are
Computer science is the study of
the design of computers and their
processes. It is a young discipline
that is evolving rapidly from its begin-
nings. In its most general form, com-
puter science is concerned with the
understanding of information transfer
and transformation. Partic ular inter-
est is placed on making processes
efficient and providing them with
some form of intelligence.
Computer science includes theo-
retical studies, experimental methods,
and engineering design all in one dis-
cipline. This differs from other physical
sciences that separate the under-
standing and advancement of the
science from the
applications of the
science in fields of engi-
neering design and implementation.
In computer science there is a natural
intermingling of the theoretical con-
cepts of computability and mathe-
matical efficiency with the modern
practical advancements in electronics,
which continue to stimulate advances
in the discipline. It is this close inter-
action of the theoretical and design
aspects of the field that binds them
together into a single discipline and
makes computer science a rewarding
area of study.
Figure 34-4. This is an example of an early computer.
(John W. Mauchly Papers; Rare Book and Manuscript
Library, University of Pennsylvania)