Practice IB Design Technology (DT) Topic 10.3 Computer-integrated Manufacturing with authentic exam-style questions for both SL and HL students. This question bank focuses on the exact syllabus content for 10.3 Computer-integrated Manufacturing and mirrors Paper 1, 2, 3 style where relevant.
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Which group of functional areas is typically connected through the shared database of a Computer-Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) system?
A manufacturer of custom-fit mouthguards for school sports currently relies on manual steps: staff take dental impressions, hand-trim the moulds, heat-form plastic sheets, and engrave names. Orders surge at the start of each term and errors in sizing lead to remakes.
The company is considering a computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) cell that links: intra-oral 3D scanning, CAD design of the mouthguard, CAM toolpath generation, a CNC trimming/finishing machine, a small robotic arm for part handling, and an automated inspection station that checks dimensions against the CAD model.
Figure 1: Proposed CIM cell concept
Figure 2: CAD model used for automated inspection
List two components or technologies that would typically be integrated in a CIM system for producing the mouthguards.
Outline how CIM could be applied to handle high order volumes at the start of term while still producing mouthguards customised to each student.
Outline one advantage and one disadvantage of moving from the current manual process to a CIM cell for this product.
Explain how integrating CAD, CAM and automated inspection in a CIM system could reduce remakes and improve the efficiency of the manufacturing process for the mouthguards.
Figure 1 shows computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM).
Figure 1: Computer-integrated manufacturing
[Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Robot_worker.jpg Mountain at Shanghai Science and Technology Museum (Wikimedia Commons)]
CIM is a system that uses computers to integrate production, business and manufacturing in order to create more efficient production lines.
Which of the following are elements of CIM?
I. Extraction of raw materials
II. Tracking of financial resources
III. Manufacturing the final product
Forge manufactures aluminium bicycle crank arms. The company is planning to modernise its production by introducing a computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) system that links design, planning, manufacture and inspection.
The proposed workflow is:
List two elements or technologies that could be part of Forge’s CIM system.
Outline one application of CIM in this factory beyond just machining the part.
Explain how introducing CIM could affect Forge’s operation, including advantages and disadvantages.
Which of the following is not a characteristic of Computer-Integrated Manufacturing (CIM)?
