Computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) systems provide a shared datab
ase management capability, and an information flow network that links
automated manufacturing subsystems such as computer-aided design (CAD)
, flexible manufacturing systems (FMS), manufacturing resource plannin
g (MRP II), computer-aided manufacturing (CAM), and group technology (
GT) into a unified, well-coordinated system. Integration in a CIM envi
ronment is the sharing of information among different subsystems of th
e manufacturing system. The success of a CIM often depends on how well
the subsystems are integrated in the communication network. This stud
y employs the method of system reliability to the analysis of informat
ion flow in a CIM network.