Computers in the Workplace - Demilitarization of Weapons

Projectile/Mortar Disassembly System
 https://www.peoacwa.army.mil/2021/04/12/facts-projectilemortar-disassembly-system/

    I chose the manufacturing industry for this week’s post. I currently work at a plant that disassembles old chemical weapon munitions. I figure there are a lot more manufacturing jobs out there than there are "demanufacturing" jobs. I will compare the uses of computers at my current job to those in the manufacturing industry as I believe that the use of computers would likely be very similar.

    I work as a Control Room Operator that operates many different systems, including fluid systems, HVAC systems, and systems that disassemble munitions. Many of these systems can be controlled remotely with little assistance from operators out at the equipment. As Control Room Operators, we use computers to control this equipment, take readings on this equipment, make log entries on this equipment, and visually observe this equipment. We all need to have a basic knowledge of operating Windows. Where our IT department comes in is maintaining and updating these computers. There are different server rooms on site that the plant needs to operate. For example, CCTV (Closed Circuit Television) has its own servers that store video footage from several cameras for the last month and has additional storage space for archived footage. In addition to CCTV, Automation has a server room for operating equipment throughout the site and recording data on this equipment. There is the Automation aspect of all of this equipment. They create, maintain, and troubleshoot the computer codes that run the equipment. (The equipment that I seek help from Automation the most can be found at the 6:45 mark of this video PCAPP Technical Overview:

    These servers also store data for the equipment for the last few weeks. One example is the boss’s office across the hall from the Control Room. I can control the temperature of his office. I can also bring back historical data on the temperature of his office over the last day. There is another group of servers on site used for all of the other workstations around the site that are connected to the Internet. These servers are all monitored frequently and updates are performed periodically.

    I can picture the need for everything I just described to be used in a manufacturing setting. There is the need for servers to store all this information and hold the code that runs the equipment. In a manufacturing setting, this equipment could be controlled and updated by someone far away from the site. “Smart manufacturing uses Internet-connected machinery to monitor the production process. This allows machines to communicate with each other via the Internet and work together to reduce errors and improve the workflow in the manufacturing plant (“The Role of IT,” 2019).” If multiple factories had the same new equipment, the programs to run that equipment can be sent through the Internet. Revisions can also be made over the Internet.

    I see the need of disassembling old munitions continually decreasing. I see little to no jobs in this field in the next ten years. I do see the need for IT in the manufacturing industry. As long as there is a need for manufacturing, there will be a need for the IT and Automation associated with it.

References:

The Role of Information Technology in Global Manufacturing. (2019, September 20). Retrieved from https://www.global-imi.com/blog/role-information-technology-global-manufacturing#:~:text=In%20simpler%20words%2C%20smart%20manufacturing,workflow%20in%20the%20manufacturing%20plant.