The advent of the digital economy has the potential to dramatically change the conventional interrelationships among individuals, enterprises and society. There can be little doubt that to achieve vigorous socioeconomic developments in the 21st century, people will have to aggressively use information technology to boost innovation and to organically link the results of that innovation to solutions to global environmental issues and social challenges such as the opportunity divide. We are responsible for taking advantage of the opportunities opened up by the digital economy and for turning those opportunities into things that reflect our values and goals. The book examines the overall impact of the digital economy and the development of a practical institutional design.

Die Casting: An Analytical Approach will refresh knowledge of the governing laws of the fluid dynamics that have an effect on die cast die and die cast process design. It will be bought by product designers that design die cast parts and die cast die and process engineers and designers.

Changing world market conditions have forced manufacturers to apply new architectures and technologies for the design and control of manufacturing systems. Distributed Manufacturing: Paradigm, Concepts, Solutions and Examples outlines the current requirements of manufacturing systems and addresses the architectures, methodologies, and technologies developed within European research activities in response to these requirements. Distributed Manufacturing: Paradigm, Concepts, Solutions and Examples will be of interest to researchers and developers in all fields involving industrial control systems, as well as to decision-makers within industry and government organizations. The reader will gain a detailed knowledge of the current research directions in industrial control, reaching a comprehensive understanding of current advances, their expected benefits and limitations, and the possible consequences for industrial businesses.

These proceedings capture papers presented at the third International Conferences on Sustainable Automotive Technologies (ICSAT), held at the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR), Greenville, South Carolina, USA, during 5-6 April 2011. ICSAT is the state-of-the-art conference in the field of new technologies for transportation. The book summarizes all important trends in sustainability of automotive development today with a special focus on materials, propulsion technologies as well as manufacturing issues. It provides a brief selection of papers and key-note speakers of the conference. Papers from the US, Australia, Europe and Asia are showing the lighthouse character of the conference, in a field which gains more and more importance as far as emissions and the lack of fossil fuels in the future are concerned. The book provides a very good overview of R&D activities at OEMs as well as in leading universities and laboratories; the special focus is on new ideas for sustainable mobility.

Unternehmen mit kurzen Lieferzeiten, hoher Liefertreue und niedrigen Bestanden wachsen schnell und erzielen hohe Gewinne. Wie Unternehmen diese logistische Herausforderung meistern koennen, zeigt das Buch anhand von aktuellen Forschungsergebnissen der Leibniz Universitat Hannover. Der Band gibt einen umfassenden UEberblick uber die Aufgaben und Verfahren der Fertigungssteuerung und befahigt Leser dazu, Schwachen in diesem Bereich zu erkennen und zu korrigieren. Ein fundiertes Nachschlagewerk fur Studierende, Dozenten, Ingenieure und Wissenschaftler.

The requirements for production systems are constantly changing as a result of changing competitive conditions. This poses a challenge for manufacturers in the various branches of industry and creates an ever-increasing need for flexibility. With this as a background, this book explores the current developments and trends as well as their impact on today's production systems. It also compares known strategies, concepts and methods used to achieve production flexibility. Similarly, the practical knowledge and current research will be drawn upon and subjected to a sound scientific analysis, through which the technical and organizational flexibility ranges can be measured in their application in a production system. The convenience and usefulness of this concept for manufacturers is substantiated by its implementation in a software tool called ecoFLEX and its practical application, based on extensive examples. This illustrates how flexibility flaws can be quickly identified, classified and properly disposed of using ecoFLEX. This tool helps to close the gap between ERP / PPS systems and digital factory planning tools.

In today's competitive environment, manufacturing and service companies are intensifying their customization processes. Customization means companies must meet the challenge of providing individualized products and services, without introducing high costs. Therefore, companies must address both customization and cost factors to gain a competitive advantage. While product customization is the manufacturing of products according to individual customer needs, it does not involve any focus on the cost perspective. Information and Management Systems for Product Customization will concentrate on both product customization and costs' efficiency, which is termed as mass customization. Moreover, mass customization with its multi-dimensions is the new business paradigm challenging today's manufacturing companies.

Cracks can develop in rotating shafts and can propagate to relevant depths without affecting consistently the normal operating conditions of the shaft. In order to avoid catastrophic failures, accurate vibration analyses have to be performed for crack detection. The identification of the crack location and depth is possible by means of a model based diagnostic approach, provided that the model of the crack and the model of the cracked shaft dynamical behavior are accurate and reliable. This monograph shows the typical dynamical behavior of cracked shafts and presents tests for detecting cracks. The book describes how to model cracks, how to simulate the dynamical behavior of cracked shaft, and compares the corresponding numerical with experimental results. All effects of cracks on the vibrations of rotating shafts are analyzed, and some results of a numerical sensitivity analysis of the vibrations to the presence and severity of the crack are shown. Finally the book describes some crack identification procedures and shows some results in model based crack identification in position and depth. The book is useful for higher university courses in mechanical and energetic engineering, but also for skilled technical people employed in power generation industries.

Theuseoflasersinmaterialsprocessinghasbecomewidespreadinrecent years,sothatanunderstandingofthenatureofheatandmasstransferin thisbranchofmoderntechnologyisofincreasingimportance. Theaimofthe authorsofthisbookistoconcentrateonthephysicalprocesses;thesecanbe developedfromamathematicalpointofview,orfromdirectexperimental- derivedobservation. Thetwoapproachesarecomplementary;eachcanprovide insightsandthesynthesisofthetwocanleadtoaverypowerfulunderstanding oftheprocessesinvolved. Mathematicalmodellingofphysicalprocesseshas hadanimportantroletoplayinthedevelopmentoftechnologyoverthe centuriesandparticularlysointhelastonehundredand?ftyyearsorso. Itcanbearguedthatitismoreimportanttodaythaneverbeforesincethe availabilityofhigh-speedcomputersallowsaccuratenumericalsimulationof industrialprocessesatafractionofthecostofthecorrespondingexperiments. Thisisoneaspectofmathematicalmodelling,highpro?leandmuchvalued, butitisnottheonlyone. Inthepastmathematicalmodellinghadtorelyonqualitativeinves- gation,veryspecialanalyticalsolutions,orinaccurateandtime-consuming calculationsperformedwithlittleinthewayoftabulatedormechanical assistance. Logtablesandsliderulesarestillrememberedbypeopleworking today,thoughtherearesurelyfewwhoregrettheirdisappearance. Thevalueanddistinctivefunctionofmethodsbasedontheanalytical approachisnowbecomingmuchclearer,nowthattheyarenolongerexpected toproducedetailedimitationsofwhathappensinrealexperimentsofind- trialprocesses,afunctionnowful?lledmostlybynumericalmethods,c- sideredbelow. Theemphasistodayisontheirabilitytocon?rmandextend ourunderstandingofthebasicphysicalmechanismsinvolvedintheprocesses of interest. These are essential for any intelligent use of numerical simulation. Theargumentaboutthevalueofteachingpeoplehowtodoarithmetic themselveswithouttheaidofacalculatorseemstobepassingintohistory, vi Preface butitisanimportantoneandprovidesasimpleanalogy. Ifsomeonedoes nothaveafeelingfornumbersandthewayarithmeticworks,theywillalltoo easilyfailtospotanerrorproducedbyamachine. Computersarenotinfallible -andneitherarethosewhobuildorprogramthem. Computersarenow takingonlessmundanemathematicaltasksandthesamecontroversiesare appearinginconnectionwithalgebraicmanipulation. Equally,andwitheven greaterpenaltiesintermsofcostintheeventoferrors,thesameconsiderations applytonumericalsimulationofmajorindustrialprocesses. Awarenessofthe analyticalsolutionscanbeinvaluableindistinguishingtherightfromthe wrong,i. e. forthepractitionertounderstandthebasisofthework,andto haveanideaofthekindsofoutcomesthatareplausible-andtorecognise thosewhicharenot. Thephrase"mathematicalmodelling"is,however,ambiguous,perhaps morenowthanithaseverbeen. Thereisanenormousamountofworkdone todayonsimulationbasedontheuseofverypowerfulcomputerprograms, anditisquitecorrectlyreferredtoasmathematicalmodelling. Theprograms aresometimesconstructedin-housebutareusuallycommercialpackages. This isanentirelyvalidapproachwithspeci?c(generallycommercial)objectives. Ingeneraltherearetwouses. Thedominantobjectiveisnumericalagreement withaparticularexperimentinthe?rstinstance,leadingtopredictivec- mercialuseinthesecondinstance. Thesecondobjectiveistheclari?cation ofphysicalmechanisms,aimedatthegenerationofunderstandingofcomplex interconnectedprocesses,ratherthantheexactreproductionofaparticular experiment. Itissometimesoverlookedthat,withsu?cientcare,anum- icalapproachisequallyvalidintheinvestigationofphysicalfundamentals. Numericalsimulationisnotacentraltopicofthisbook,butbecauseofits crucialimportancetoeachofthetwousestowhichnumericalmodellingcan beput,itisvitalthatthecomputationalbasisoftheworkshouldbec- pletelysound. Inaddition,thelevelofprocessdetailwhichcanbeconsidered bythenumericalapproachusuallyexceedswhatispossiblewiththeanaly- calapproachsigni?cantly,leavinglittlechoicebuttoreverttothenumerical treatmentwheninvestigatingtheinterconnectionsbetweenprocesses. Itis forthesereasonsthatthebookconcludeswithachapteroncomprehensive numericalsimulation. Inmanyways,theapproachadoptedhereiscomplementarytothemore phenomenologicalapproach. Itisalwaysimportantina?eldwhichhasvery directindustrialapplicationstobearinmindhowtechniquessuchasthose describedherewillbeused,butitisessentialnottolosesightofthef- damentals. Thereareserioussafetyimplications;therearecostimplications; therearemoralimplications;thereareconsiderationsoftheappropriateness ofthetechnologytotheapplicationunderconsideration. Aproperrespectfor alltheserequiresanunderstandingofthefundamentals. Wearealltoowellawarethatthisbookdoeslittlemorethanscratch thesurfaceoftheproblemsinvolvedinafundamentalunderstandingofthese phenomena. Ifwehaveprovidedideasandinformationthatcauseothersto Preface vii testthemexperimentallyorintellectually,agreewiththemordisputethem vigorously,anddevelopthemfurther,wewillconsiderthatwehaveachieved ouraim. Colchester April,2008 JohnDowden Contents 1MathematicsinLaserProcessing JohnDowden...1 1. 1 MathematicsanditsApplication...1 1. 2 FormulationinTermsofPartialDi?erentialEquations...3 1. 2. 1 LengthScales...3 1. 2. 2 ConservationEquationsandtheirGeneralisations...4 1. 2. 3 GoverningEquationsofGeneralised ConservationType...7 1. 2. 4 Gauss'is,however,ambiguous,perhaps morenowthanithaseverbeen. Thereisanenormousamountofworkdone todayonsimulationbasedontheuseofverypowerfulcomputerprograms, anditisquitecorrectlyreferredtoasmathematicalmodelling. Theprograms aresometimesconstructedin-housebutareusuallycommercialpackages. This isanentirelyvalidapproachwithspeci?c(generallycommercial)objectives. Ingeneraltherearetwouses. Thedominantobjectiveisnumericalagreement withaparticularexperimentinthe?rstinstance,leadingtopredictivec- mercialuseinthesecondinstance. Thesecondobjectiveistheclari?cation ofphysicalmechanisms,aimedatthegenerationofunderstandingofcomplex interconnectedprocesses,ratherthantheexactreproductionofaparticular experiment. Itissometimesoverlookedthat,withsu?cientcare,anum- icalapproachisequallyvalidintheinvestigationofphysicalfundamentals. Numericalsimulationisnotacentraltopicofthisbook,butbecauseofits crucialimportancetoeachofthetwousestowhichnumericalmodellingcan beput,itisvitalthatthecomputationalbasisoftheworkshouldbec- pletelysound. Inaddition,thelevelofprocessdetailwhichcanbeconsidered bythenumericalapproachusuallyexceedswhatispossiblewiththeanaly- calapproachsigni?cantly,leavinglittlechoicebuttoreverttothenumerical treatmentwheninvestigatingtheinterconnectionsbetweenprocesses. Itis forthesereasonsthatthebookconcludeswithachapteroncomprehensive numericalsimulation. Inmanyways,theapproachadoptedhereiscomplementarytothemore phenomenologicalapproach. Itisalwaysimportantina?eldwhichhasvery directindustrialapplicationstobearinmindhowtechniquessuchasthose describedherewillbeused,butitisessentialnottolosesightofthef- damentals. Thereareserioussafetyimplications;therearecostimplications; therearemoralimplications;thereareconsiderationsoftheappropriateness ofthetechnologytotheapplicationunderconsideration. Aproperrespectfor alltheserequiresanunderstandingofthefundamentals. Wearealltoowellawarethatthisbookdoeslittlemorethanscratch thesurfaceoftheproblemsinvolvedinafundamentalunderstandingofthese phenomena. Ifwehaveprovidedideasandinformationthatcauseothersto Preface vii testthemexperimentallyorintellectually,agreewiththemordisputethem vigorously,anddevelopthemfurther,wewillconsiderthatwehaveachieved ouraim. Colchester April,2008 JohnDowden Contents 1MathematicsinLaserProcessing JohnDowden...1 1. 1 MathematicsanditsApplication...1 1. 2 FormulationinTermsofPartialDi?erentialEquations...3 1. 2. 1 LengthScales...3 1. 2. 2 ConservationEquationsandtheirGeneralisations...4 1. 2. 3 GoverningEquationsofGeneralised ConservationType...7 1. 2. 4 Gauss'Theuseoflasersinmaterialsprocessinghasbecomewidespreadinrecent years,sothatanunderstandingofthenatureofheatandmasstransferin thisbranchofmoderntechnologyisofincreasingimportance. Theaimofthe authorsofthisbookistoconcentrateonthephysicalprocesses;thesecanbe developedfromamathematicalpointofview,orfromdirectexperimental- derivedobservation. Thetwoapproachesarecomplementary;eachcanprovide insightsandthesynthesisofthetwocanleadtoaverypowerfulunderstanding oftheprocessesinvolved. Mathematicalmodellingofphysicalprocesseshas hadanimportantroletoplayinthedevelopmentoftechnologyoverthe centuriesandparticularlysointhelastonehundredand?ftyyearsorso. Itcanbearguedthatitismoreimportanttodaythaneverbeforesincethe availabilityofhigh-speedcomputersallowsaccuratenumericalsimulationof industrialprocessesatafractionofthecostofthecorrespondingexperiments. Thisisoneaspectofmathematicalmodelling,highpro?leandmuchvalued, butitisnottheonlyone. Inthepastmathematicalmodellinghadtorelyonqualitativeinves- gation,veryspecialanalyticalsolutions,orinaccurateandtime-consuming calculationsperformedwithlittleinthewayoftabulatedormechanical assistance. Logtablesandsliderulesarestillrememberedbypeopleworking today,thoughtherearesurelyfewwhoregrettheirdisappearance. Thevalueanddistinctivefunctionofmethodsbasedontheanalytical approachisnowbecomingmuchclearer,nowthattheyarenolongerexpected toproducedetailedimitationsofwhathappensinrealexperimentsofind- trialprocesses,afunctionnowful?lledmostlybynumericalmethods,c- sideredbelow. Theemphasistodayisontheirabilitytocon?rmandextend ourunderstandingofthebasicphysicalmechanismsinvolvedintheprocesses of interest. These are essential for any intelligent use of numerical simulation. Theargumentaboutthevalueofteachingpeoplehowtodoarithmetic themselveswithouttheaidofacalculatorseemstobepassingintohistory, vi Preface butitisanimportantoneandprovidesasimpleanalogy. Ifsomeonedoes nothaveafeelingfornumbersandthewayarithmeticworks,theywillalltoo easilyfailtospotanerrorproducedbyamachine. Computersarenotinfallible -andneitherarethosewhobuildorprogramthem. Computersarenow takingonlessmundanemathematicaltasksandthesamecontroversiesare appearinginconnectionwithalgebraicmanipulation. Equally,andwitheven greaterpenaltiesintermsofcostintheeventoferrors,thesameconsiderations applytonumericalsimulationofmajorindustrialprocesses. Awarenessofthe analyticalsolutionscanbeinvaluableindistinguishingtherightfromthe wrong,i. e. forthepractitionertounderstandthebasisofthework,andto haveanideaofthekindsofoutcomesthatareplausible-andtorecognise thosewhicharenot. Thephrase"mathematicalmodelling"is,however,ambiguous,perhaps morenowthanithaseverbeen. Thereisanenormousamountofworkdone todayonsimulationbasedontheuseofverypowerfulcomputerprograms, anditisquitecorrectlyreferredtoasmathematicalmodelling. Theprograms aresometimesconstructedin-housebutareusuallycommercialpackages. This isanentirelyvalidapproachwithspeci?c(generallycommercial)objectives. Ingeneraltherearetwouses. Thedominantobjectiveisnumericalagreement withaparticularexperimentinthe?rstinstance,leadingtopredictivec- mercialuseinthesecondinstance. Thesecondobjectiveistheclari?cation ofphysicalmechanisms,aimedatthegenerationofunderstandingofcomplex interconnectedprocesses,ratherthantheexactreproductionofaparticular experiment. Itissometimesoverlookedthat,withsu?cientcare,anum- icalapproachisequallyvalidintheinvestigationofphysicalfundamentals. Numericalsimulationisnotacentraltopicofthisbook,butbecauseofits crucialimportancetoeachofthetwousestowhichnumericalmodellingcan beput,itisvitalthatthecomputationalbasisoftheworkshouldbec- pletelysound. Inaddition,thelevelofprocessdetailwhichcanbeconsidered bythenumericalapproachusuallyexceedswhatispossiblewiththeanaly- calapproachsigni?cantly,leavinglittlechoicebuttoreverttothenumerical treatmentwheninvestigatingtheinterconnectionsbetweenprocesses. Itis forthesereasonsthatthebookconcludeswithachapteroncomprehensive numericalsimulation. Inmanyways,theapproachadoptedhereiscomplementarytothemore phenomenologicalapproach. Itisalwaysimportantina?eldwhichhasvery directindustrialapplicationstobearinmindhowtechniquessuchasthose describedherewillbeused,butitisessentialnottolosesightofthef- damentals. Thereareserioussafetyimplications;therearecostimplications; therearemoralimplications;thereareconsiderationsoftheappropriateness ofthetechnologytotheapplicationunderconsideration. Aproperrespectfor alltheserequiresanunderstandingofthefundamentals. Wearealltoowellawarethatthisbookdoeslittlemorethanscratch thesurfaceoftheproblemsinvolvedinafundamentalunderstandingofthese phenomena. Ifwehaveprovidedideasandinformationthatcauseothersto Preface vii testthemexperimentallyorintellectually,agreewiththemordisputethem vigorously,anddevelopthemfurther,wewillconsiderthatwehaveachieved ouraim. Colchester April,2008 JohnDowden Contents 1MathematicsinLaserProcessing JohnDowden...1 1. 1 MathematicsanditsApplication...1 1. 2 FormulationinTermsofPartialDi?erentialEquations...3 1. 2. 1 LengthScales...3 1. 2. 2 ConservationEquationsandtheirGeneralisations...4 1. 2. 3 GoverningEquationsofGeneralised ConservationType...7 1. 2. 4 Gauss'sLaw...10 1. 3 BoundaryandInterfaceConditions...11 1. 3. 1 GeneralisedConservationConditions...11 1. 3. 2 TheKinematicConditioninFluidDynamics...13 1. 4 Fick'sLaws...15 1. 5 Electromagnetism...15 1. 5. 1 Maxwell'sEquations...15 1. 5. 2 Ohm'sLaw...18 References...19 2SimulationofLaserCutting WolfgangSchulz,MarkusNiessen,UrsEppelt,KerstinKowalick...21 2. 1 Introduction...22 2. 1. 1 PhysicalPhenomenaandExperimentalObservation...23 2. 2 MathematicalFormulationandAnalysis...26 2. 2. 1 TheOne-PhaseProblem...29 2. 2. 2 TheTwo-PhaseProblem...42 2. 2. 3 Three-PhaseProblem...51 2. 3 Outlook...64 2. 4 Acknowledgements...65 References...65 x Contents 3KeyholeWelding:TheSolidandLiquidPhases AlexanderKaplan...71 3. 1 HeatGenerationandHeatTransfer...71 3. 1. 1 Absorption...

This is the second edition of Melt Rheology and its Role in Plastics Processing, although the title has changed to reflect its broadened scope. Advances in the recent years in rheometer technology and polymer science have greatly enhanced the usefulness of rheology in the plastics industry. It is now possible to design polymers having specific molecular structures and to predict the flow properties of melts having those structures. In addition, rheological properties now provide more precise information about molecular structure. This book provides all the information that is needed for the intelligent application of rheology in the development of new polymers, the determination of molecular structure and the correlation of processability with laboratory test data. Theory and equations are limited to what is essential for the use of rheology in the characterization of polymers, the development of new plastics materials and the prediction of plastics processing behavior. The emphasis is on information that will be of direct use to practitioners. Extensive references are provided for those wishing to pursue certain issues in greater depth. While the primary audience is applied polymer scientists and plastics engineers, the book will also be of use to postgraduate students in polymer science and engineering and as a text for a graduate course.

To survive and thrive in the competition, firms have strived to achieve greater supply chain collaboration to leverage the resources and knowledge of suppliers and customers. Internet based technologies, particularly interorganizational systems, further extend the firms' opportunities to strengthen their supply chain partnerships and share real-time information to optimize their operations. Supply Chain Collaboration: Roles of Interorganizational Systems, Trust, and Collaborative Culture explores the nature and characteristics, antecedents, and consequences of supply chain collaboration from multiple theoretical perspectives. Supply Chain Collaboration: Roles of Interorganizational Systems, Trust, and Collaborative Culture conceptualizes supply chain collaboration as seven interconnecting elements including information sharing, incentive alignment, goal congruence, decision synchronization, resource sharing, as well as communication and joint knowledge creation. These seven components define the occurrence of collaborative efforts and allow us to explain supply chain collaboration more precisely. Collaborative advantages are also divided into five components to capture the joint competitive advantages and benefits among supply chain partners. The definitions and measures developed here examine some central issue surrounding supply chain development but this is also followed up with real-life managerial practicalities. This balance of theory and practical application makes Supply Chain Collaboration: Roles of Interorganizational Systems, Trust, and Collaborative Culture a strong resource for industry practitioners and researchers alike.

Electrical Machines primarily covers the basic functionality and the role of electrical machines in their typical applications. The effort of applying coordinate transforms is justified by obtaining a more intuitive, concise and easy-to-use model. In this textbook, mathematics is reduced to a necessary minimum, and priority is given to bringing up the system view and explaining the use and external characteristics of machines on their electrical and mechanical ports. Covering the most relevant concepts relating to machine size, torque and power, the author explains the losses and secondary effects, outlining cases and conditions in which some secondary phenomena are neglected. While the goal of developing and using machine mathematical models, equivalent circuits and mechanical characteristics persists through the book, the focus is kept on physical insight of electromechanical conversion process. Details such as the slot shape and the disposition of permanent magnets and their effects on the machine parameters and performance are also covered.

Precision Nanometrology describes the new field of precision nanometrology, which plays an important part in nanoscale manufacturing of semiconductors, optical elements, precision parts and similar items. It pays particular attention to the measurement of surface forms of precision workpieces and to stage motions of precision machines. The first half of the book is dedicated to the description of optical sensors for the measurement of angle and displacement, which are fundamental quantities for precision nanometrology. The second half presents a number of scanning-type measuring systems for surface forms and stage motions. The systems discussed include: * error separation algorithms and systems for measurement of straightness and roundness, * the measurement of micro-aspherics, * systems based on scanning probe microscopy, and * scanning image-sensor systems. Precision Nanometrology presents the fundamental and practical technologies of precision nanometrology with a helpful selection of algorithms, instruments and experimental data. It will be beneficial for researchers, engineers and postgraduate students involved in precision engineering, nanotechnology and manufacturing.

This book helps readers evaluate and specificy the best Warehouse Management System (WMS) for their need. The advice is based on practical knowledge, describing in detail fundamental processes and technologies needed for a basic understanding. New approaches in the structure and design of WMS are presented, along with discussion of the limitations of current systems. The book shows how to operate a simple WMS based on the open-source initiative myWMS.

This book provides essential information on metal forming, utilizing a practical distinction between bulk and sheet metal forming. In the field of bulk forming, it examines processes of cold, warm and hot bulk forming, as well as rolling and a new addition, the process of thixoforming. As for the field of sheet metal working, on the one hand it deals with sheet metal forming processes (deep drawing, flange forming, stretch drawing, metal spinning and bending). In terms of special processes, the chapters on internal high-pressure forming and high rate forming have been revised and refined. On the other, the book elucidates and presents the state of the art in sheet metal separation processes (shearing and fineblanking). Furthermore, joining by forming has been added to the new edition as a new chapter describing mechanical methods for joining sheet metals. The new chapter "Basic Principles" addresses both sheet metal and bulk forming, in addition to metal physics, plastomechanics and computational basics; these points are complemented by the newly added topics of metallography and analysis, materials and processes for testing, and tribology and lubrication techniques. The chapters are supplemented by an in-depth description of modern numeric methods such as the finite element method. All chapters have been updated and revised for the new edition, and many practical examples from modern manufacturing processes have been added.

In the industrial design and engineering field, product lifecycle, product development, design process, Design for X, etc., constitute only a small sample of terms related to the generation of quality products. Current best practices cover widely different knowledge domains in trying to exploit them to the best advantage, individually and in synergy. Moreover, standards become increasingly more helpful in interfacing these domains and they are enlarging their coverage by going beyond the single domain boundary to connect closely different aspects of the product lifecycle. The degree of complexity of each domain makes impossible the presence of multipurpose competencies and skills; there is almost always the need for interacting and integrating people and resources in some effective way. These are the best conditions for the birth of theories, methodologies, models, architectures, systems, procedures, algorithms, software packages, etc., in order to help in some way the synergic work of all the actors involved in the product lifecycle. This brief introduction contains all the main themes developed in this book, starting from the analysis of the design and engineering scenarios to arrive at the development and adoption of a framework for product design and process reconfiguration. In fact, the core consists of the description of the Design GuideLines Collaborative Framework (DGLs-CF), a methodological approach that generates a collaborative environment where designers, manufacturers and inspectors can find the right and effective meeting point to share their knowledge and skills in order to contribute to the optimum generation of quality products.

The process control industry has seen generations of technology advancement, from pneumatic communication to electrical communication to electronic c- munication, from centralized control to distributed control. At the center of today's distributed control systems are operator workstations. These operator wo- stations provide the connection between those overseeing and running plant operations to the process itself. With each new generation of products the operator workstation has become increasingly more intelligent. Newer applications provide advanced alarming, control, and diagnostics. Behind all of these applications are smarter devices. These smart devices provide greater process insight, reduce en- neering costs, and contribute to improving the overall operational performance of the plant. Smart devices include advanced diagnostics that can report the health of the device and in many cases, the health of the process that the device is connected to. It is not uncommon for smart devices to include diagnostics that can detect plugged lines, burner flame instability, agitator loss, wet gas, orifice wear, leaks, and cavitations. These devices tell the user how well they are operating and when they need maintenance. Improvements in sensor technology and diagnostics have lead to a large variety of smart devices. So how do users connect the capabilities of these smart devices to their existing control system infrastructures? The answer is wireless. Wireless technology has matured to the point that it now can be safely applied in industrial control, monitor, and asset management applications.

Industries and particularly the manufacturing sector have been facing difficult challenges in a context of socio-economic turbulence characterized by complexity as well as the speed of change in causal interconnections in the socio-economic environment. In order to respond to these challenges companies are forced to seek new technological and organizational solutions. In this context two main characteristics emerge as key properties of a modern automation system - agility and distribution. Agility because systems need not only to be flexible in order to adjust to a number of a-priori defined scenarios, but rather must cope with unpredictability. Distribution in the sense that automation and business processes are becoming distributed and supported by collaborative networks. Emerging Solutions for Future Manufacturing Systems includes the papers selected for the BASYS'04 conference, which was held in Vienna, Austria in September 2004 and sponsored by the International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP).

"Advanced Steels: The Recent Scenario in Steel Science and Technology" contains more than 50 articles selected from the proceedings of the International Conference on Advanced Steels (ICAS) held during 9-11, Nov, 2010 in Guilin, China. This book covers almost all important aspects of steels from physical metallurgy, steel grades, processing and fabrication, simulation, to properties and applications. The book is intended for researchers and postgraduate students in the field of steels, metallurgy and materials science. Prof. Yuqing Weng is an academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering and the president of The Chinese Society for Metals. Prof. Han Dong is the vice president of Central Iron & Steel Research Institute and the director of National Engineering Research Center of Advanced Steel Technology, China. Prof. Yong Gan is an academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering, the vice president of Chinese Academy of Engineering and the president of Central Iron & Steel Research Institute, China.

Nontraditional machining employs processes that remove material by various methods involving thermal, electrical, chemical and mechanical energy or even combinations of these. Nontraditional Machining Processes covers recent research and development in techniques and processes which focus on achieving high accuracies and good surface finishes, parts machined without burrs or residual stresses especially with materials that cannot be machined by conventional methods. With applications to the automotive, aircraft and mould and die industries, Nontraditional Machining Processes explores different aspects and processes through dedicated chapters. The seven chapters explore recent research into a range of topics including laser assisted manufacturing, abrasive water jet milling and hybrid processes. Students and researchers will find the practical examples and new processes useful for both reference and for developing further processes. Industry professionals and materials engineers will also find Nontraditional Machining Processes to be a source of ideas and processes for development and industrial application.

"Recent Advances in Intelligent Control Systems" gathers contributions from workers around the world and presents them in four categories according to the style of control employed: fuzzy control; neural control; fuzzy neural control; and intelligent control. The contributions illustrate the interdisciplinary antecedents of intelligent control and contrast its results with those of more traditional control methods. A variety of design examples, drawn primarily from robotics and mechatronics but also representing process and production engineering, large civil structures, network flows, and others, provide instances of the application of computational intelligence for control. Presenting state-of-the-art research, this collection will be of benefit to researchers in automatic control, automation, computer science (especially artificial intelligence) and mechatronics while graduate students and practicing control engineers working with intelligent systems will find it a good source of study material.

The relay feedback test (RFT) has become a popular and efficient in process identification and automatic controller tuning. Non-parametric Tuning of PID Controllers couples new modifications of classical RFT with application-specific optimal tuning rules to form a non-parametric method of test-and-tuning. Test and tuning are coordinated through a set of common parameters so that a PID controller can obtain the desired gain or phase margins in a system exactly, even with unknown process dynamics. The concept of process-specific optimal tuning rules in the nonparametric setup, with corresponding tuning rules for flow, level pressure, and temperature control loops is presented in the text. Common problems of tuning accuracy based on parametric and non-parametric approaches are addressed. In addition, the text treats the parametric approach to tuning based on the modified RFT approach and the exact model of oscillations in the system under test using the locus of a perturbedrelay system (LPRS) method. Industrial loop tuning for distributed control systems using modified RFT is also described. Many of the problems of tuning rules optimization and identification with modified RFT are accompanied by MATLAB (R) code, downloadable from http://extras.springer.com/978-1-4471-4464-9 to allow the reader to duplicate the results. Non-parametric Tuning of PID Controllers is written for readers with previous knowledge of linear control and will be of interest to academic control researchers and graduate students and to practitioners working in a variety of chemical- mechanical- and process-engineering-related industries.

Enterprise Networks and Logistics for Agile Manufacturing presents a focused collection of quality chapters on state-of-the-art research efforts in the areas of enterprise networks and logistics, as well as their practical applications towards agile manufacturing. With the increasing decentralisation of manufacturing systems and outsourcing of processes, more robust and practical approaches and systems are needed to support agile manufacturing operations. Enterprise Networks and Logistics for Agile Manufacturing consists of two major sections: the first presents a broad-based review of the key areas of research in enterprise networks and logistics; the second focuses on an in-depth treatment of a particular methodology or system relevant to the book title. Examples include: * sustainable green supply chain; * value creation and supplier selection; * extended enterprise network management; * reverse logistics; and * innovative supply chain systems. The authors take into account the need to pose intellectual challenges while retaining a balanced approach in terms of scope versus depth and theory versus applications. Enterprise Networks and Logistics for Agile Manufacturing can be beneficial to academic researchers, practicing engineers and managers, and graduate students with an interest in any manufacturing sectors. It can enable them to better understand the present state and future trends of research in this important area, in order to position themselves strategically for future challenges as we enter the era of agile and distributed manufacturing.

To meet and adapt to the current and future trends and issues in technology and society, the science committee of The German Academic Society for Production Engineering (WGP) continues to define future topics for production technology. These themes represent not only the key focus for the scientific work of the WGP, but also the central themes of the first annual conference in June 2011, whose paper is publically available in this volume. Such themes, including electric mobility, medical technology, lightweight construction, and resource efficiency, as well as mass production ability have all been identified as future, large-scale, and long-term drivers of change. Future trends influence changes sustainably and fundamentally; they permeate society, technology, economics, and value systems and have an effect in virtually all areas of life. The WGP has, as part of its research, established for itself the goal of not only observing these emerging changes, but also of supervising and influencing their development in order to ensure steady progress, secure sustainability, and shape the future.

The central purpose of this book is to impart knowledge, skills and practical - plementation methods for the planning and operation of adaptable production - cilities and factories. It addresses planning methods and procedures for various types of production facility up to and including entire factories, and is aimed at practicing factory planners and students alike. The book provides facts and demonstrates practical processes using case studies for the purposes of illustration, so that ultimately skills can be acquired that make independent practical implementation and app- cation possible. It is based on up-to-the-minute practical experience and univ- sally applicable knowledge of the planning and technological design of adaptable production facilities (manufacturing and assembly) and factories. In comparison to existing, thematically-similar reference books, what is in- vative about this manual is that it provides the impulse for a more flexible pl- ning approach for the efficient design of adaptable production facilities using - sponsive, unconventional planning and organizational solutions. The book aims to provide a way of integrating systematic and situation-driven planning methods in a meaningful way. Situation-driven planning is becoming increasingly important to production facilities in these fast-moving times of change, in particular in terms of resource and energy efficiency. Existing technical and organizational course of action in terms of resources (both human and technical) need to be selected for the specific case at hand, and changes (to workshops, products, processes and equ- ment) need to be managed.