An information model for a CAM database to support flexible manufacture of printed circuit boards

The author presents key features from an information model for a CAM (computer-aided manufacturing) database that supports flexible manufacture of printed circuit boards and other selected components and products. This model incorporates information from several sources: shop orders, CAD (computer-aided design), bill of materials, and process setup. The essential activities of manufacturing can be subdivided into several information categories. These categories include products, processes, factory structure, factory operations, and factory inventory. The information model identifies the entities and data elements that are associated with each of these categories, as well as the relationships among the entities. Appropriate levels of abstraction enable this model to support a wide variety of products and processes. The resulting relational database implementation is integrated with multiple manufacturing software applications to assist with the operation of a manufacturing facility