Computer-aided process planning for fabrication applications

Today's manufacturing environment is growing in complexity and higher competition which pressurises companies to improve product quality and reduce cost and lead times. This is why companies are paying more attention to design for manufacture (DFM) by applying computer aided process planning (CAPP) to selecting appropriate manufacturing processes. Although a lot of research and development has gone into CAPP systems, hardly any in-depth work in the area of fabrication applications. This area has only begun to surface the horizon and in years to come it will grow and mature as the manufacturing industry requires fabrication process planning to save capital and time in order to remain competitiveness in the market. This research is intended to emphasis the growing importance of computer aided process planning in the fields of fabrication applications.