外文翻译--计算机辅助生产和控制系统.doc

Computer in Manufacturing Computer-aided Production and Control Systems (CAPACS) Manufacturing technology has been around for many years. Over these years, it has gone through many changes, ranging from the simple to the complex. The driving forces behind the changes were people’s desires to improve basic needs such as food, clothing, shelter, and recreation. To meet these desires, methods have been developed from producing simple devices such as weapons for obtaining food to today’s modern manufacturing systems, which use computers to produce such items as televisions and space vehicles. Computers are being given an increasingly important role in manufacturing systems. A computer’s ability to receive and handle large amounts of data, coupled with their fast processing time, makes a system approach indispensable. The use of computers in manufacturing is now coming of age. Computer application in manufacturing production controls the physical process and is typically referred to as computer-aided manufacturing (CAM). It is built on the foundation of such system as NC, AC, robotics, automated guided vehicle system (AGVS) , automated storage/retrieval system(AS/RS) , and flexible manufacturing system(FMS) . Some of the new uses are briefly discussed below. More detailed discussions are presented in subsequent chapters. Many interrelated manufacturing activities are grouped together to form a special application system that may be referred to as a production and control system (PACS). The grouping of manufacturing activities into PACS varies from one manufacturing environment to another. A PACS is defined as a subsystem in a global manufacturing environment .It may be a single subsystem, or it may be a complex set of subsystems. An illustration of PACS working in a global manufacturing system is shown in Fig.1.1. For PACS to meet their designed functional requirements, they should be designed to function independently of other PACS. Also, PACS should be to