Providing design support for manufacturing specific data.

摘要

This dissertation begins by explaining that the introduction of personal computers and the spread of computers to all aspects of a manufacturing enterprise has changed the way that knowledge and information are represented. In the past, paper documents were used, but with computers, electronic databases are used. The advent of computers has also meant that application programs have been developed that aid all functions in an organization. Design development is one area that has benefited from the research and development that has taken place to develop programs that capture, manipulate and process design information in preparation for manufacturing.;The dissertation shows that by using databases to store manufacturing specific knowledge used by manufacturing engineers and process operators the results are improved quality, lower support costs, reduced stress and fewer operators are required to maintain output levels. This is possible because automation programs can be developed that use the stored information to control processing equipment and generate operator documentation.;This dissertation shows that while programs have been developed to capture and utilize design knowledge, manufacturing specific knowledge used by manufacturing engineers and process operators has not been captured. As a result, manufacturing has not benefited to the same extent as design. The scope of this dissertation shows that while the design side has been addressed, many of the ideas have not been used or spread into manufacturing.