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38 SMT007 MAGAZINE I MARCH 2019 hicles (AGVs), even differing lengths of time for charging the batteries may cause problems. 2. Data Integrity The higher the degree of automation, the more critical the integrity of the data used to control the machines will be (Figure 3). While the CIM system saves on the labor of operating the machines, it requires extra human labor to ensure there are proper safeguards for the data signals that are used to control the machines. 3. Process Control Computers may be used to assist the human operators at a manufacturing facility, but there must always be a competent engineer on hand to handle circumstances unforeseen by the control software designers. CIM Subsystems A CIM system is not the same as a lights-out factory, which would run completely indepen- dently of human intervention, although it is a big step in that direction. Part of the system involves flexible manufacturing, where the factory can be quickly modified to produce dif- ferent products, or where the volume of prod- ucts can be changed quickly with the aid of computers (Figure 4). CIM Architecture for Manufacturing Standards for computer interfacing and con- trol are available for each industry. Some are designed specifically for automation, electron- ics manufacturing, fabrication, and assembly. Automation Two truisms are becoming increasingly appar- ent in industry: 1. Technology is rapidly advancing and leading to more complex products 2. More and more nations are awaiting advancing technology, resulting in a competition requiring an increased focus on product cost and quality In a model developed for PCB fabrication, a new and important variable, the complexity factor (C), has been increasing steadily since the 1980s at an order of magnitude every 13 years [1] . Figure 4: The CIM hierarchy of related/critical systems.