Difficulties in Troubleshooting Automated Manufacturing Systems

Publication Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

1-1990

Abstract

Based on the results of an empirical study of the process of troubleshooting in computer-controlled manufacturing systems, we highlight sources of difficulty encountered by expert maintenace personnel in acquiring and using information to diagnose faults. We focus on difficulties in collecting background information, testing hypotheses, making repair attempts, and generating beliefs about causes of failures. Recommendations are provided for how to make people more effective in the troubleshooting task by (i) changing management policies and practices at the plant level, (ii) modifying the process control hardware and software that already exists on the plant floor, and (iii) improving the design of new hardware and software for the next generation of process control systems.

Keywords

Troubleshooting, fault diagnosis, manufacturing systems, automation

Discipline

Computer Sciences | Management Information Systems

Research Areas

Information Systems and Management

Publication

International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics

Volume

5

Issue

1

First Page

91

Last Page

104

ISSN

0169-8141

Identifier

10.1016/0169-8141(90)90031-v

Publisher

Elsevier

Additional URL

https://doi.org/10.1016/0169-8141(90)90031-v

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