This collection offers new research findings, innovations, and industrial technological developments in extractive metallurgy, energy and environment, and materials processing. Technical topics included in the book are thermodynamics and kinetics of metallurgical reactions, electrochemical processing of materials, plasma processing of materials, composite materials, ionic liquids, thermal energy storage, energy efficient and environmental cleaner technologies and process modeling. These topics are of interest not only to traditional base ferrous and non-ferrous metal industrial processes but also to new and upcoming technologies, and they play important roles in industrial growth and economy worldwide.

This book presents original research articles addressing various aspects of economics, management and optimization. The topics discussed include economics, finance, marketing, resource allocation strategies, fuzzy logic, and network-based techniques for the analysis of economics, management and mathematical optimization. Combining the input of contributing professors and researchers from various Spanish, Italian and Latin American universities, the book will be of interest to students, researchers and practitioners, as well as members of the general public interested in the world of Economics and Management.

This book presents a deep dive into the geometry of motion, which is developed in combination with tools of numerical analysis and then applied to significant problems from robotics and biomechanics. The exposition starts with basic notions from elementary algebra and geometry, and builds increasingly complex ideas with arguments that appeal largely to intuition and visualization. The aim of the book is not to simply present a set of mathematical concepts, but to help the reader understand their most intrinsic nature, and to establish a clear sense of how and why these abstractions are used in practical, challenging situations.

Microfluidics represent great potential for chemical processes design, development, optimization, and chemical engineering bolsters the project design of industrial processes often found in large chemical plants. Together, microfluidics and chemical engineering can lead to a more complete and comprehensive process. Process Analysis, Design, and Intensification in Microfluidics and Chemical Engineering provides emerging research exploring the theoretical and practical aspects of microfluidics and its application in chemical engineering with the intention of building pathways for new processes and product developments in industrial areas. Featuring coverage on a broad range of topics such as design techniques, hydrodynamics, and numerical modelling, this book is ideally designed for engineers, chemists, microfluidics and chemical engineering companies, academicians, researchers, and students.

This book discusses the application of quality and reliability engineering in Asian industries, and offers information for multinational companies (MNC) looking to transfer some of their operation and manufacturing capabilities to Asia and at the same time maintain high levels of reliability and quality. It is also provides small and medium enterprises (SME) in Asia with insights into producing high-quality and reliable products. It mainly comprises peer-reviewed papers that were presented at the Asian Network for Quality (ANQ) Congress 2014 held in Singapore (August, 2014), which provides a platform for companies, especially those within Asia where rapid changes and growth in manufacturing are taking place, to present their quality and reliability practices. The book presents practical demonstrations of how quality and reliability methodologies can be modified for the unique Asian market, and as such is a valuable resource for students, academics, professionals and practitioners in the field of quality and reliability.

Intelligent prediction and decision support systems are based on signal processing, computer vision (CV), machine learning (ML), software engineering (SE), knowledge based systems (KBS), data mining, artificial intelligence (AI) and include several systems developed from the study of expert systems (ES), genetic algorithms (GA), artificial neural networks (ANN) and fuzzy-logic systems The use of automatic decision support systems in design and manufacturing industry, healthcare and commercial software development systems has the following benifits: Cost savings in companies, due to employment of expert system technology. Fast decision making, completion of projects in time and development of new products. Improvement in decision making capability and quality. Usage of Knowledge database and Preservation of expertise of individuals Eases complex decision problems. Ex: Diagnosis in Healthcare To address the issues and challenges related to development, implementation and application of automatic and intelligent prediction and decision support systems in domains such as manufacturing, healthcare and software product design, development and optimization, this book aims to collect and publish wide ranges of quality articles such as original research contributions, methodological reviews, survey papers, case studies and/or reports covering intelligent systems, expert prediction systems, evaluation models, decision support systems and Computer Aided Diagnosis (CAD).

In today's modernized world, new research and empirical findings are being conducted and found within various professional industries. The field of engineering is no different. Industrial and material engineering is continually advancing, making it challenging for practitioners to keep pace with the most recent trends and methods. Engineering professionals need a handbook that provides up-to-date research on the newest methodologies in this imperative industry. Recent Developments and Trends in Industrial and Materials Engineering is a collection of innovative research on the theoretical and practical aspects of integrated systems within engineering. This book provides a forum for professionals to understand the advancing methods of engineering. While highlighting topics including operations management, decision analysis, and communication technology, this book is ideally designed for researchers, managers, engineers, industrialists, manufacturers, academicians, policymakers, scientists, and students seeking current research on recent findings and modern approaches within industrial and materials engineering.

This book addresses the specialized topic of input-output models for sustainable industrial systems. While these models are well-established tools for economic analysis, their underlying mathematical structure is also applicable to the analysis and optimization of a wide range of systems that are characterized by linear interdependencies among their components. This means that input-output models can be used for diverse networks, such as processes within industrial plants, industrial plants in a supply chain, or departmental units within an organization. The models can also be readily extended to interactions between man-made systems and the environment, e.g. flows of natural resources and/or pollutants. Furthermore, model variants with excess degrees of freedom can be formulated to allow optimization and decision-making to be integrated within the framework. This book examines how input-output models can be applied to sustainable industrial systems. Each major variant is discussed separately in a dedicated chapter, and representative case studies and supporting LINGO code are also included.

Describes both direct radiator loudspeaker and horn loudspeaker design in detail, with Passive Networks, Acoustics, Measurement techniques and worked examples. Possible new material includes the Q1 vented enclosure alignments, the Q1 and AQ2 Constant-Voltage passive crossover networks, the Resonant Bass Bin and a different way to optimize low frequency horns. Also included is the Pollack Equalizer, that may give the audio presentation of the classic 'Mirrophonic' loudspeaker.

A straightforward, practical guide to extreme value modeling for today's world

Measuring and interpreting data for extreme values presents a unique and important challenge that has far-reaching implications for all aspects of modern engineering and science. Extreme Value and Related Models with Applications in Engineering and Science reflects the latest information in this growing field. The book incorporates illuminating real-world examples from such areas as structural engineering, hydraulics, meteorology, materials science, highway traffic analysis, environmetrics, and climatology, and is designed to help engineers, mathematicians, statisticians, and scientists gain a clearer understanding of extreme value theory and then translate that knowledge into practical applications within their own fields of research.

The book provides: A unique focus on modern topics including data analysis and inference Specific data in such areas as wind, flood, chain strength, electrical insulation, fatigue, precipitation, and wave heights Useful techniques for addressing extreme value problems, including discrete, continuous, univariate, and multivariate models Coverage of order statistics, return period, exceedances and shortfalls, along with detailed explanations on how to obtain exact distributions for these statistics An in-depth look at asymptotic models and the limit distributions of maxima, minima, and other order statistics

Enhanced with numerous graphs and exercises, plus an extensive bibliography for further study, this text is an important reference source for engineers designing structures that will withstand even the most extreme circumstances.

Gaseous photomultipliers are defined as gas-filled devices capable of recording single ultraviolet (UV) and visible photons with high position resolution. Used in a variety of research areas, these detectors can be paired with computers to treat and store imaging information of UV-light. Position-Sensitive Gaseous Photomultipliers: Research and Applications explores the advancement of gaseous detectors as applied for single photon detection. Emphasizing emerging perspectives and new ways to apply gaseous detectors across research fields, this research-based publication is an essential reference source for engineers, physicists, graduate-level students, and researchers.

Rapid advances in computer technology and the internet have created new opportunities for delivering instruction and revolutionizing the learning environment. This development has been accelerated by the significant reduction in cost of the Internet infrastructure and the easy accessibility of the World-Wide-Web. Web-Based Engineering Education: Critical Design and Effective Tools evaluates the usefulness of advanced learning systems in delivering instructions in a virtual academic environment for different engineering sectors. This reference source aims at providing a deep probe into the most relevant issues in engineering education and digital learning and will offer a survey of how digital engineering education has developed, where it stands now, how research in this area has progressed, and what the prospects are for the future.

This book provides practitioners with a basic understanding of strategy and the process of strategic management. Using academic foundations and best practices from business life, the authors present the most important strategy tools and how they interact. The book gives a concise overview over the focal areas and considerations of strategy in practice. It enables managers to analyze and interpret business information with regard to the underlying strategic notions. A hands-on introduction to strategic management by leading marketing authority Philip Kotler, top management consultancy founder Roland Berger, and strategy expert Nils Bickhoff.

This book goes beyond searching for Muda by Gemba walk; the aim is to industrialize the office environment in view of the new digitalization challenge by applying the same principles of Lean industry. Whereas the basic process theory remains valid, the Lean tools have to be adapted and transposed to the office characteristics where not machines but employees are at the center of the transactions. Here, a new, already successfully applied, integrated, industry-derived, and systematic approach is presented. It will not only boost office effectiveness and productivity as well as shortening lead-time of office routines far beyond simple Muda elimination, but it will also prepare the processes in view of the upcoming digitalization era.

Milan and Lombardy have played an important role in the Italian country since the Roman period. This importance is reflected also by the diffusion of stone architecture: a persisting trait of Milan architecture was the use of different stones in the same building. Milan lies in the middle of the alluvial plain of the Po, far from the stone quarries; some waterways were dug out in order to supply the building stones from the surrounding territories. The study of stone as building material was significant at the end of 19th century, but then it was largely neglected by both architects and geologists. So it is significant to suggest a study about the stones employed to build in Milan (Part One) in relationship with a petrographic study about the features of the stones quarried in the whole Lombard territory (Part Two). Part One contains a record of Milanese edifices, edifices marking the different historical periods. Each edifice is described in a "card" containing: the building history, the architect, the kind of stone employed and subdivided according to the different parts of the building, the shape of stone elements. Part Two contains the description of the features of the stones reported in the first part. They are metamorphic and magmatic rocks of the Alpine area; sedimentary rocks and loose materials of the Prealpine area; sedimentary rocks of the Apennine area; loose sediments of the Padania plain. Some stones, coming from other northern Italian regions, and used in Lombard architecture, are also described. Each stone is described in a "card" containing: commercial and historical names, petrographic classification, macroscopic features, mineralogical composition, microscopic features, geological setting, quarry sites, transport to yards, morphology of dressed elements and surface handworking, use in architecture in the whole Lombard territory and abroad, decay morphologies. A particular investigation is addressed to the stones used during the 20th century, a great part of them was never used before in Milan and in Lombardy.