NC machine tools doing the same type and quantity of work. This last fact alone illustrates that CIM can free large amounts of the idle capital associated with machines that are normally underutilized. MBB also has experienced nonquantifiable benefits as a result of this level of integration. Improvement in product quality has been realized in the form of higher accuracy and reproducibility, lower rework costs, and lower scrap rates. This quality improvement in turn has resulted in lower quality-assurance costs.
Production schedules are more predictable, and the typical level of paper flow has decreased.
Furthermore, working conditions have improved owing to the decreased risk of accidents, the relief from heavy physical labor, and the more challenging nature of the work. The EMS, as an element of the computer-integrated factory of the future, demonstrates that automation can be essentially free if properly designed and utilized. First, a much smaller number of automated workstations is required because of higher utilization. The capital saving more than pays for the additional integrating facilities, including software. One large conglomerate2 made a special study of the results achieved by a diverse group of independent companies through the modernization of production management systems.