Excerpts

Preface The first edition of this book was published in 1980 under the title Automation, Production Systems, and Computer-Aided Manufacturing. A revision was published in 1987 with about 200 more pages and a slightly different title: Automation, Production Systems, and Computer Integrated Manufacturing. The additional pages expanded the coverage of topics like industrial robotics, programmable logic controllers, material handling and storage, and quality control. But much of the book was very similar to the 1980 text. By the time I started work on the current volume (technically the second edition of the 1987 title, but in fact the third generation of the 1980 publication), it was clear that the book was in need of a thorough rewriting. New technologies had been developed and existing technologies had advanced, new theories and methodologies had emerged in the research literature, and my own understanding of automation and production systems had grown and matured (at least I think so). Readers of the two previous books will find this new volume to be quite different from its predecessors. Its organization is significantly changed, new topics have been added, and some topics from the previous editions have been discarded or reduced in coverage. It is not an exaggeration to say that the entire text has been rewritten (readers will find very few instances where I have used the same wording as in the previous editions). Nearly all of the figures are new. It is essentially a new book. There is a risk in changing the book so much. Both of the previous editions have been very successful for Prentice Hall and me. Many instructors have adopted the book and have become accustomed to its organization and coverage. Many courses have been developed based on the book. What will these instructors think of the new edition, with all of its new and different features? My hope is that they will try out the new book and find it to be a significant improvement over the 1987 edition, as well as any other textbook on the subject. Specifically, what are the changes in this new edition? To begin with, the organization has been substantially revised. Following two introductory chapters, the book is organized into five main parts: Automation and control technologies:Six chapters on automation, industrial computer control, control system components, numerical control, industrial robotics, and programmable logic controllers. Material handling technologies:Four chapters covering conventional and automated material handling systems (e.g., conveyor systems and automated guided vehicle systems), conventional and automated storage systems, and automatic identification and data capture. Manufacturing systems:Seven chapters on a manufacturing systems taxonomy, single station cells, group technology, flexible manufacturing systems, manual assembly lines, transfer lines, and automated assembly. Quality control systems:Four chapters covering quality assurance, statistical process control, inspection principles, and inspection technologies (e.g., coordinate measuring machines and machine vision). Manufacturing support systems:Four chapters on product design and CAD/CAM, process planning, production planning and control, and lean production and agile manufacturing. Other changes in organization and coverage in the current edition, compared with the 1987 book, include: Expanded coverage of automation fundamentals, numerical control programming, group technology, flexible manufacturing systems, material handling and storage, quality control and inspection, inspection technologies, programmable logic controllers. New chapters or sections on manufacturing systems, single station manufacturing systems, mixed-model assembly line analysis, quality assurance and statistical process control, Taguchi methods, inspection principles and technologies, concurrent engineering, automatic identification and data collection, lean and agile manufacturing. Consolidation of numerical control into one chapter (the old edition had three chapters). Consolidation of industrial robotics into one chapter (the old edition had three chapters). The chapters on control systems have been completely revised to reflect current industry practice and technology. More quantitative problems on more topics: nearly 400 problems in the new edition, which is almost a 50% increase over the 1987 edition. Historical notes describing the development and historical background of many of the automation technologies. With all of these changes and new features, the principle objective of the book remains the same. It is a textbook designed primarily for engineering students at the advanced undergraduate or beginning graduate levels. It has the characteristics of an engineering textbook: equations, example problems, diagrams, and end-of-chapter exercises. A Solutions Manual is available from Prentice Hall for instructors who adopt the book. The book should also be useful for practicing engineers and managers who wish to learn about automation and production systems technologies in modern manufacturing. In several chapters, application guidelines are presented to help readers decide whether the particular technology may be appropriate for their operations. Excerpted from Automation, Production Systems, and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing by Mikell P. Groover All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.