Fault Diagnosis and Computer Integrated Manufacturing Systems

This paper examines one aspect of human interaction with computer-integrated systems, that of fault diagnosis or troubleshooting. The complexity (and attendant unreliability) of the new manufacturing systems has meant that fault diagnosis has become an increasing proportion and an integral part of operators' jobs. Establishing and maintaining high levels of diagnostic accuracy and efficiency is important for a variety of reasons. One is that equipment downtime is expensive, another is that errors of diagnosis might, under some circumstances, be a threat to both safety and quality. As yet there has been little research into human fault diagnosis in CIM. This paper draws on research from other industries, such as power generation and chemical production and explores the application of that work to fault-finding in computer-integrated discrete production systems. The focus is on the factors that influence individual fault-finding behaviors and efficiencies. Where possible, the aim is to identify critical human-machine interaction design principles and to highlight research questions yet to be addressed in contemporary manufacturing environments, with respect to the diagnosis of system failure