IT R&D programme : Volume VI: Computer-integrated manufacturing and engineering; summaries of projects Esprit II and III

This book gives an overview of the work carried out in the CIME area of the Esprit programme. Each project, action and working group is described in a standard format covering its aims, approach and methods, progress and results and potential impact. In each case details of participating organizations are provided together with contact point. The main objective of the CIME subprogramme is to expand the European Union's share of the market for computer-integrated manufacturing to a dominant level in the European market and to achieve a significant penetration of non-EU markets. In addition, it is expected that the CIM programme will help to accelerate the modernization process in a wide range of industries, ranging from discrete parts production to continuous processes and so improve the competitiveness of European manufacturing industry as a whole. Computer-Integrated Manufacturing and Engineering (CIME) encompasses the whole range of computer-integrated manufacturing activities including architectures and communications, management and design of enterprises, and mechatronics, robotics and sensing technologies. The CIME area has been selected for its potential impact on the methods and economies of production, where reduced inventory and lead-times, consistent product quality, system reliability and flexibility, and ease of manufacture are the main goals to be addressed. The world market for CIM products was estimated to be ECU 53 billion in 1990, and is expected to rise to ECU 92 billion in 1996. The main objective of the CIME subprogramme of ESPRIT is to expand the Community's share of the market for Computer-Integrated Manufacturing to a dominant level in the European market and to achieve a significant penetration of non-EC markets. In addition, it is expected that the CIM programme will help to accelerate the modernisation process in a wide range of industries, ranging from discrete parts production to continuous processes, and so improve the competitiveness of European manufacturing industry as a whole.