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Computer Aided: a whole program!

Computer Aided: a whole program!

Sunday 12 april 2020

It was as early as the end of the 1950s that the term Computer Aided, which translates as Computer Aided, was to be associated with new software covering all operational areas of the company. Until then, computers had been reserved for complex calculations, but their field of action was considerably expanded. The digital revolution was underway...

> Digital technology at the service of maintenance

Here we will give an overview of these abbreviations, most of which are still widely used 60 years later in companies, even if the software they refer to has evolved considerably, with, as you can imagine, a focus on CMMS [Computerized Maintenance Management System] which is particularly dear to our hearts at Yuman. We will also look at the interrelationship between CMMS and CAPM [Computer Aided Production Management]. 

The origin of the term 

The term Computer-Aided was coined by Douglas Ross, a researcher at MIT, a pioneer in computer science. Ross first used it to name the tools that he and his team developed in his laboratory and that would open the field of CAD for Computer Aided Design Software or CAO for Conception Assistée par Ordinateur as early as 1959. 

We were then in the early days of digital business and, in the industrial world, computer assistance would become essential. Computer Aided Design, Manufacturing, Production and Maintenance software now accompanies all teams, advantageously replacing drawings on sheets, the manufacture of models, the physical simulation of industrial parts, schedules or wall charts and all paper-based processes.

Drawing, design and manufacturing

DAO, CAO, FAO... I'm sure you've heard of them. From drawing, to design, to manufacturing, each of these fields has its own software and its own abbreviation. Yuman will help you to see more clearly! 

CAD: Computer Aided Drafting

Why draw on a computer or graphic tablet when you lose the pleasure and precision of pencil on paper? Quite simply because CAD can be treated like any other computer file: infinitely modifiable, it can also be shared, sent to the client, archived. The erasures are then only a distant bad memory! 

CAD : Computer Aided Design

So our play was drawn on the computer. Now we have to simulate its use. This is where CAD comes into play, thanks to 2D or 3D modelling, it is easy to test the different scenarios of use, to study the friction points. Essential before starting manufacturing. 

CAM: Computer Aided Manufacturing

The CAM will use the models created by the CAD to manufacture the parts with real materials. Some software programs also offer the possibility of combining the two functions (CAD/CAM). The CAM software will optimize manufacturing for maximum productivity, limiting the loss of raw material and facilitating the creation of the necessary documentation for the production workshop.

Expanding the term to other processes

How about Pre-AO for Computer-Assisted Presentation? Launched with the birth of PowerPoint in 1987, originally designed for the Mac before being purchased by Microsoft in 1990, the software hasn't left our meeting rooms since its creation.

We can also cite CAD and CAT, respectively Proofreading and Computer Aided Translation: algorithms that compare texts to check compliance with typography rules. Originally very crude, rather reserved for the publishing world, it is however inconceivable today to write a text without translation or automatic spelling and grammar correction. 

A good conversion is that of software to help with the layout of printed documents: DTP, Computer Aided Publishing. Since we no longer print as much as we used to, DTP software now offers the layout of posters, visuals and other digital magazines, taking into account the new constraints linked to the variety of formats and screen sizes.

CAPM and CMMS: Production and Maintenance

Now that our part has been drawn, designed in every detail and the prototype has been manufactured, tested and validated, production must begin.

CAPM: Computer Aided Production Management

MIS manages production, from the ordering of raw materials through replenishment to the production schedule. In addition, it can also handle invoicing and shipping of the parts produced. 

Sound familiar? Over the years, ERP [Enterprise Resources Planning] has been integrated into the MIS functionalities, and today only a few die-hard Gauls still publish software that is purely dedicated to production management. 

The main objectives of a CAPM are the following: 

  • To manage production planning according to the availability of machines, human resources and deadlines to be respected.
  • Optimize procurement based on the order book
  • Minimizing inventory levels
  • Reduce manufacturing lead times for customers as much as possible
  • Follow orders in terms of quality control and safety
  • Calculate variances between the planned and actual cost of production

Let's not forget that to ensure flawless production, machines need maintenance. This is our latest acronym, CMMS.

CMMS: Computerized Maintenance Management System

CMMS will focus on maintaining industrial equipment in operational conditions, through maintenance that can be curative, predictive or regulatory. The aim is to anticipate and limit production stoppages, which are problematic and costly for the company.

📰 You can also read : Discover in detail Yuman CMMS

Modern CMMS are not static, quite the contrary. Available on smartphones or tablets, like Yuman, they can be used to manage maintenance and servicing at various sites, including directly at the customer's premises.

Reinventing the Production - Maintenance interrelationship

Production and maintenance are a bit like cats and dogs. Production, seeking to achieve ever higher objectives, blames maintenance for not intervening quickly and well enough to avoid breakdowns and dreaded production stoppages. On the other hand, maintenance deplores the lack of care taken with the machines and the postponement of preventive actions, which are systematically relegated to the background because of the order book to be honoured. 

In the end, complaints accumulate and above all the machines are damaged, with production stoppages that are increasingly long and costly. Here we are faced with a real communication problem between two teams who do not have the same objectives, productivity for one, maintaining equipment for the other, but above all who do not have access to the same information. The solution? To set up a shared CMMS, such as Yuman, in order to finally optimize communication.

Thanks to schedules updated in real time, notifications sent to production, when taking over, carrying out an intervention and restarting the machine, the Yuman CMMS becomes a real communication tool. And this, as soon as the damage occurs. In fact, the information entered at the time of service requests will be unified between the different players, with the possibility of inserting customised and/or mandatory fields, in order to transmit to the maintenance technicians all the information necessary to carry out their diagnosis.

The automatic recording of the start and end times of the intervention, from the recognition of the problem to the resolution of the breakdown, allows the calculation of indicators such as :

  • MTTR, Mean Time To Repair, i.e. the mean time to repair.
  • MTBF, Mean Time Between Failure
  • MWT, Mean Waiting Time, the average time to wait before the procedure is taken over.

Finally, the construction of a documented report, via the taking of photos, the scanning of the barcode or QRcode of the spare parts, attests to the correct execution of the intervention and its completion. The voucher in PDF format can then be sent to the production and maintenance managers, guaranteeing an optimum level of communication. The recorded information can be consulted by the maintenance technician on his tablet during the next intervention. No loss of information is possible.

For preventive maintenance management, Yuman CMMS also has an important role to play. Not only does it enable the management of the periodic schedule for the execution of maintenance ranges, but by combining it with the production forecast and the available human resources, the company ensures that a feasible preventive schedule is built. And therefore to limit downtime costs.

Finally, production and maintenance work towards the same objective: to ensure the continuity of production, taking into account costs, deadlines, available means and ensuring the safety of people. This cannot be done properly without a modern and intuitive CMMS, like Yuman, which helps to circulate information, to finally reconcile production and maintenance.

To conclude, the glossary

  • CAD: Computer Aided Design
  • CAD: Computer Aided Drafting
  • CAM: Computer Aided Manufacturing
  • CMMS : Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS)
  • CAPM : Computer Aided Production Management
  • CAMI : Computer Assisted Musical Instrument
  • CAM: Computer-Assisted Music
  • DTP: Desktop Publishing
  • Pre-CA: Computer Assisted Presentation
  • CAP: Computer Aided Proofreading
  • CAT: Computer-Assisted Translation

By the way, our ambition is to offer an unparalleled user experience. Check it out right away: try CMMS for free. Within 2 minutes, the time it takes to create your account, you'll discover what's newest in this category of software.

You can also benefit from a demonstration led by one of our consultants: book a videoconference

Good discovery and see you soon on Yuman.

 

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