Page 40 - Sensors and Control Systems in Manufacturing

The Role of Sensors in the 21st Century
1.1 MEMS Microscopy System 5
In the 17th century, scientist Anton van Leeuwenhoek peered at
microbes through a crude optical microscope, for the quest of higher
performance. Just as Leeuwenhoek’s microscope impacted the sci-
ence of his day, today’s microscopy systems affect the way engineers
develop and test semiconductors and materials, as well as technolo-
gies like microelectromechanical systems (MEMS).
Both destructive and nondestructive microscopy tools now com-
plement—and surpass—the scanning electron microscope (SEM), an
iconic fixture of the well-equipped laboratory. Newer-generation
instruments, some reasonably priced and user-friendly, are moving
once-outsourced imaging and analysis tasks back into the manufac-
turing environment.
Manufacturing organizations in the United States are under
intense competitive pressure. Major changes are being experienced
with respect to resources, markets, manufacturing processes, and
product strategies. As a result of international competition, only the
most productive and cost-effective industries will survive.
Today’s sensors and control systems have explosively expanded
beyond their traditional production base into far-ranging commercial
ventures. They will play an important part in the survival of innova-
tive industries. Their role in information assimilation, and control of
operations to maintain an error-free production environment, will
help enterprises stay effective on their competitive course.

1.2 Establishing an Automation Program
Manufacturers and vendors have learned the hard way that technol-
ogy alone does not solve problems. A prime example is the gap
between the information and the control worlds, which caused pro-
duction planners to set their goals according to dubious assumptions
concerning plant-floor activities, and plant supervisors then could
not isolate production problems until well after they had arisen.
The problem of creating effective automation for an error-free
production environment has drawn a long list of solutions. Some are
as old as the term computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) itself.
However, in many cases, the problem turned out not to be technol-
ogy, but the ability to integrate equipment, information, and people.
The debate over the value of computer-integrated manufacturing
technology has been put to rest, although executives at every level in
almost every industry are still questioning the cost of implementing
CIM solutions. Recent economic belt tightening has forced industry
to justify every capital expense, and CIM has drawn fire from budget-
bound business people in all fields.