Computers in Manufacturing

    The industry I chose to talk about is manufacturing. I chose this industry because it is the field I am currently employed in where we produce custom attachments for heavy equipment, railroad transport platforms, track maintenance attachments, and much more. Computers play a major role in the manufacturing industry from the initial design, all the way down to the logistics in getting the final product to the customer. Employees in this line of work should be computer literate because every step in the manufacturing process starts and ends with the help of a computer. There are certainly some positions that require more computer access than others but each position, during some point in the process, accesses a computer to complete their assigned task. Below is a list of areas within a manufacturing company that are ranked by computer usage and a brief description of their role with computers.

Most computer usage:

• Design - Creating 3D renderings and design prints of new products.
• Sales - Creating orders for new products.
• Scheduling - Creating a flow of where products will be in their manufacturing stages.
• Product Support - Creating a chain of events for potential product warranty and service.
• Burn Table - Maps out parts that need to be burned out of solid plate.
• Milling - Must set parameters on machine to make a part out of a solid piece of material.
• Drilling - Must set parameters on machine to make a part out of a solid piece of material.

Least computer usage:

• Paint - Must verify the correct paint color prior to application.
• Assembly - Verifies correct assembly steps during the building process.
• Bend - Operates the press via controls on the computer.
• Weld - Uses prints supplied by the design department to ensure proper part placement prior to weld.
• Saw - Uses prints supplied by the design department to ensure proper part creation.

    Over the next ten years I see the role of computers in manufacturing becoming more profound. We have already started to see this with manual lathes, burn tables, drill presses, and milling machines becoming computer operated. This allows the user more time and flexibility to perform other tasks while the machine is performing the work. I do not think this advancement in technology will replace the human element though as there will always be a need for operators to control and load material into these pieces of equipment.