Integrated framework for selection of machining equipment in CIM

The requirements for increased responsiveness to market and the demands for shorter product introduction times underline the need for a coherent formal approach towards equipment selection to support the knowledge and experience of the engineers entrusted with this important task. With the increasing complexity of the decision making in manufacturing system design, the search for the right structure depends upon the capability of the designers to compare different solutions using common approaches in an integrated decision making environment. The paper presents an integrated framework for selection of machining equipment which utilises both 'product' and 'process' based principles of manufacturing system formation. The decision making is defined as a sequence of steps for transforming component design information into processing requirements which are mapped into physical machines organized in processing systems. The methodology includes a work content analysis module for selection and optimization of technological solutions; a component and process grouping module for definition of system capability boundaries and a module for specification of machine tools. The selection procedures are supported by process capability and component data models providing a homogeneous decision making environment.