A solid, rigorous, yet comprehensible analysis of process capability indices, this work bridges the gap between theoretical statisticians and quality control practitioners, showing how an understanding of these indices can lead to process improvement.

The manufacturing and service sector needs to resolve a lot of issues relating to products, process and service in everyday operation. Successful resolution depends on the methodology, rigor and systematic implementation techniques. The essential purpose of this book is to impart the necessary knowledge to the reader about concepts in six sigma problem-solving providing sufficient knowledge of problem lifecycle and ways to address the various issues arising therein. The 7 QC tools and A3 strategy are described and analyzed in detail with various examples encompassing a step by step approach a professional must know to address a problem in an industrial engineering set up. Key Features Conceptualizes six sigmas problem-solving providing sufficient knowledge of problem lifecycle and ways to address the various issues for manufacturing industry professionals Enables effective use of 7 QC tools for solving problems Addresses the problem- solving part very specifically in all the contexts of PDCA cycle of improvement, DMAIC methodology of organizational transformation, and TPM & TQM culture of productivity and quality improvement Written with A3 theme throughout enabling each problem-solving tool to follow a structured approach Includes relevant and practical examples and applications

For sophomore or junior-level courses in industrial engineering. Divided into two major areas of study - work systems, and work methods, measurement, and management - this guidebook provides up-to-date, quantitative coverage of work systems and how work is analyzed and designed. Thorough, broad-based coverage addresses nearly all of the traditional topics of industrial engineering that relate to work systems and work science. The author's quantitative approach summarizes many aspects of work systems, operations analysis, and work measurement using mathematical equations and quantitative examples.

Time-pressed, professionals looking for practical guidance to shape their current or future safety programs should use this book. Pre-Accident Investigations: An Introduction to Organizational Safety helps to identify complex potential incidents before they take place. Based around the ’New View’ of human error, it offers established human performance theory in a highly practical context. Written in an engaging, conversational style, around several case studies, the book is grounded in reality, with examples with which anyone can identify. It is an ideal aid for senior safety executives who want to spread the safety message among their colleagues. It is also an excellent choice for course tutors looking for a narrative-led primer.

Table of Contents

A story of failure. Why think about failure at all? Case study: the Titanic: a story to help you rethink how you think about failure. Change the way your organization reacts to failure . Pre-accident investigation tool. Case study: aviation accidents are the unexpected combination of normal aviation variability. Workers don't cause failure, workers trigger failure. Change is better when you manage change - and change needs to be managed. Case study: nine senior managers: a million different opinions on how to handle a problem...and nobody willing to change. Thinking about where failure will happen. Case study: a crashing limb: thinking about where failure will happen. Fundamentals training: introducing the ’new view’ to your old crew. Case study: how to win friends and influence workers. Starting the journey - the first steps. The four things that matter. Conclusion. Basic reading list for human performance.

Wavelets: Theory and Applications for Manufacturing presents a systematic description of the fundamentals of wavelet transform and its applications. Given the widespread utilization of rotating machines in modern manufacturing and the increasing need for condition-based, as opposed to fix-interval, intelligent maintenance to minimize machine down time and ensure reliable production, it is of critical importance to advance the science base of signal processing in manufacturing. This volume also deals with condition monitoring and health diagnosis of rotating machine components and systems, such as bearings, spindles, and gearboxes, while also: -Providing a comprehensive survey on wavelets specifically related to problems encountered in manufacturing -Discussing the integration of wavelet transforms with other soft computing techniques such as fuzzy logic, for machine defect and severity classification -Showing how to custom design wavelets for improved performance in signal analysis Focusing on wavelet transform as a tool specifically applied and designed for applications in manufacturing, Wavelets: Theory and Applications for Manufacturing presents material appropriate for both academic researchers and practicing engineers working in the field of manufacturing.

This book presents a collection of real cases from industrial practices that production system and quality managers implement to ensure a high quality as well as a low cost in products. This book is divided in sections that are focused on: * The quality and philosophies implemented to production systems; starting from the product design as well as from the supply system. * The principal statistical techniques applied to the quality assurance (statistical quality control, analysis of tests and failure, quality function deployment, accelerated life tests, among others), the process of gathering information, its validation, its reliability process, and techniques for data analysis. * The techniques applied to the integration of human resources in the process of quality assurance, such as managers and operators' participation, training, and training processes. * Use of information and communications technologies, software, and programs implemented to guarantee the quality of the products in the production systems. ISO standards and policies that are used for quality management and monitoring.

This book shows how to identify potential design errors and modify procedures in the design process to mitigate design-induced error. Real life examples are used to demonstrate the points being made. Many of the concerns raised in the book have come from a worldwide study conducted with designers, managers, and end-users.

The aim of this book is to provide “human engineering” for workplaces, tools, machinery, computers, shift work, lighting, sound, climate, work demands, offices, vehicles, healthcare, and the home – and everything else that we can produce – to suit the human body and mind. Now being published in its eighth edition, Fitting the Human focuses on the primary ergonomic task of accommodating the human with the appropriate selection of equipment and tools, work requirements and procedures, physical and social conditions at work, and working hours and shift arrangements.

This book provides the ergonomic information needed for the user-friendly design of tasks, equipment, and workplaces. It follows the successful format of previous editions, with updated information and practical guidelines that augment the previous information. It offers refreshed information on ergonomic design for the home and workplace, contemporary ways of working, healthcare and medicine, and artificial intelligence and autonomy. This text also recognizes that cultural differences in living and working vary around the world, so additional insights are offered into ergonomics in global cultures and regions. This title will help the reader understand how to plan and design an overall system and its details to fit the human.

Published under the mantra of “solid information, easy to read, easy to understand, easy to apply,” Fitting the Human is written for students and professionals in ergonomics, human factors, product and work design, safety, architecture, management, and all fields of engineering.

Table of Contents

Foreword

About the Author

The First Page

SECTION I: The Human Body

CHAPTER ONE: Body Sizes

CHAPTER TWO: Body Mobility

CHAPTER THREE: Muscular Work

CHAPTER FOUR: Body Strength

SECTION II: The Human Mind

CHAPTER FIVE: How We See

CHAPTER SIX: How We Hear

CHAPTER SEVEN: How We Sense Objects and Energy

CHAPTER EIGHT: How We Experience Indoor and Outside Climates

CHAPTER NINE: How We Think

SECTION III: Body and Mind Working Together

CHAPTER TEN: Hard Physical Work

CHAPTER ELEVEN: Light and Moderate Work

CHAPTER TWELVE: Task Load and Stress

SECTION IV: Organizing and Managing Work

CHAPTER THIRTEEN: Working with Others

CHAPTER FOURTEEN: Working in an Organization

CHAPTER FIFTEEN: Working Hours and Sleep

CHAPTER SIXTEEN: Working in Shifts

SECTION V: Applied Human Engineering

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: Design of the Home

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: Design of the Office and Office Furnishings

CHAPTER NINETEEN: Design and Use of Computers

CHAPTER TWENTY: Design of the Workplace

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: Load Handling

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO: Healthcare for Patients and Providers

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE: Emerging Ergonomic Issues with Artificial Intelligence

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR: Designing Work to be Efficient and Pleasant

The Last Page

References

Index

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This book provides an accessible one-volume introduction to Lean Six Sigma and statistics in engineering for students and industry practitioners. Lean production has long been regarded as critical to business success in many industries. Over the last ten years, instruction in Six Sigma has been linked more and more with learning about the elements of lean production. Building on the success of the first and second editions, this book expands substantially on major topics of increasing relevance to organizations interested in Lean Six Sigma. Each chapter includes summaries and review examples plus problems with their solutions. As well as providing detailed definitions and case studies of all Six Sigma methods, the book uniquely describes the relationship between operations research techniques and Lean Six Sigma. Further, this new edition features more introductory material on probability and inference and information about Deming's philosophy, human factors engineering, and the motivating potential score - the material is tied more directly to the Certified Quality Engineer (CQE) exam. New sections that explore motivation and change management, which are critical subjects for achieving valuable results have also been added. The book examines in detail Design For Six Sigma (DFSS), which is critical for many organizations seeking to deliver desirable products. It covers reliability, maintenance, and product safety, to fully span the CQE body of knowledge. It also incorporates recently emerging formulations of DFSS from industry leaders and offers more introductory material on experiment design, and includes practical experiments that will help improve students' intuition and retention. The emphasis on lean production, combined with recent methods relating to DFSS, makes this book a practical, up-to-date resource for advanced students, educators and practitioners.

Pierce helps you take control of the dizzying process of effecting changing procedures, processes, and attitudes in your company's safety and health program and then position your operations for continuous improvement. He reviews Total Quality and its benefits over traditional management, provides a detailed plan for implementing a six-step process for effecting change, and outlines successful strategies, challenges, and pitfalls to avoid.

"Risks in Technological Systems" is an interdisciplinary university textbook and a book for the educated reader on the risks of today 's society. In order to understand and analyze risks associated with the engineering systems on which modern society relies, other concerns have to be addressed, besides technical aspects. In contrast to many academic textbooks dealing with technological risks, this book has a unique interdisciplinary character that presents technological risks in their own context.

Twenty-four scientists have come together to present their views on risks in technological systems. Their scientific disciplines cover not only engineering, economics and medicine, but also history, psychology, literature and philosophy. Taken together these contributions provide a broad, but accurate, interdisciplinary introduction to a field of increasing global interest, as well as rich opportunities to achieve in-depth knowledge of the subject.

This book contains a selection of papers presented at the "European Robotics and Intelligent Systems Conference" (EURISCON '91) held in Corfu. Greece (June 23-28. 1991). It is devoted to the analysis. design and applications of technological systems with built-in intelligence achieved through appropriate blending of mathematical, symbolic. sensing. computer processing. and feedback control concepts. methods and software / hardware tools. System intelligence includes human-like capabilities such as learning. observation. perception. interpretation. reasoning. planning. decision making. and action. Integrated intelligent decision and control systems obey Saridis' prinCiple of Increasing Precision with Decreasing Intelligence (IPDI). and have a hierarchical structure with three basic levels. namely Organization. Coordination. and Execution Levels. As we proceed from the organization to the execution level. the precision about the jobs to be completed increases and accordingly the intelligence reqUired for these jobs decreases. As an example. it is mentioned here that in an intelligent robotic system the organization tasks can be realized using a neural net. the coordination tasks by a Petri net. and the execution tasks by local sensors and actuators. The field of intelligent systems is a new interdisciplinary field with continuously increasing interest and expansion. It is actually the outcome of the synergetic interaction and cooperation of classical fields such as system theory. control theory. artificial intelligence. operational research. information theory. electronics. communications. and others.

As robots are used more and more to perform a variety of tasks in a range of fields, it is imperative to make the robots as reliable and safe as possible. Yet no book currently covers robot reliability and safety within one framework. Robot System Reliability and Safety: A Modern Approach presents up-to-date information on robot reliability, safety, and related areas in a single volume, eliminating the need to consult diverse sources. After introducing historical, mathematical, and introductory aspects, the book presents methods for analyzing robot system reliability and safety. It next focuses on topics related to robot reliability, including classifications of robot failures and their causes and hydraulic and electric robots' reliability analysis. The book then explains the analysis of robot-related safety and accidents, covers key elements of robot maintenance and robotics applications in maintenance and repair, and addresses human factors and safety considerations in robotics workplaces. The book concludes with chapters on robot testing, costing, and failure data as well as six mathematical models for reliability and safety analysis. Written by a well-known expert in reliability engineering, this book will be useful to system, design, reliability, and safety engineers along with other engineering professionals working in the area of robotics. It can also be used in courses on system engineering, reliability engineering, and safety engineering.

A combination of source inspection and mistake-proofing devices is the only method to get you to zero defects. Shigeo Shingo shows you how this proven system for reducing errors turns out the highest quality products in the shortest period of time. Shingo provides 112 specific examples of poka-yoke development devices on the shop floor, most of them costing less than $100 to implement. He also discusses inspection systems, quality control circles, and the function of management with regard to inspection.

All packaging engineers and technologists who want to ensure that they give their customers the highest quality, most cost-effective products should know that the paradigm has shifted. It has shifted away from the MIL-STDs and other government standards and test procedures that don't cost-effectively address potential failure mechanisms or the manufacturing processes of the product. It has shifted decisively towards tackling the root causes of failure and the appropriate implementation of cost-effective process controls, qualityscreens, and tests.
This book's groundbreaking, science-based approach to developing qualification and quality assurance programs helps engineers reach a new level of reliability in today's high-performance microelectronics. It does this with powerful...
* Techniques for identifying and modeling failure mechanisms earlier in the design cycle, breaking the need to rely on field data
* Physics-of-failure product reliability assessment methods that can be proactively implemented throughout the design and manufacture of the product
* Process controls that decrease variabilities in the end product and reduce end-of-line screening and testing

A wide range of microelectronic package and interconnect configurations for both single-and multi-chip modules is examined, including chip and wire-bonds, tape-automated (TAB), flip-TAB, flip-chip bonds, high-density interconnects, chip-on-board designs (COB), MCM, 3-D stack, and many more. The remaining package elements, such as die attachment, case and lid, leads, and lid and lead seals are also discussed in detail.
The product of a distinguished team of authors and editors, this book's guidelines for avoiding potential high-risk manufacturing and qualification problems, as well as for implementing ongoing quality assurance, are sure to prove invaluable to both students and practicing professionals.
For the professional engineer involved in the design and manufacture of products containing electronic components, here is a comprehensive handbook to the theory and methods surrounding the assembly of microelectronic and electronic components. The book focuses on computers and consumer electronic products with internal subsystems that reflect mechanical design constraints, cost limitations, and aesthetic and ergonomic concerns. Taking a total system approach to packaging, the book systematically examines: basic chip and computer architecture; design and layout; interassembly and interconnections; cooling scheme; materials selection, including ceramics, glasses, and metals; stress, vibration, and acoustics; and manufacturing and assembly technology. 1994 (0-471-53299-1) 800 pp.
INTEGRATED CIRCUIT, HYBRID, AND MULTICHIP MODULE PACKAGE DESIGN GUIDELINES: A Focus on Reliability --Michael Pecht
This comprehensive guide features a uniquely organized time-phased approach to design, development, qualification, manufacture, and in-service management. It provides step-by-step instructions on how to define realistic system requirements, define the system usage environment, identify potential failure modes, characterize materials and processes by the key control label factors, and use experiment, step-stress, and accelerated methods to ensure optimum design before production begins. Topics covered include: detailed design guidelines for substrate...wire and wire, tape automated, and flip-chip bonding...element attachment and case, lead, lead and lid seals--incorporating dimensional and geometric configurations of package elements, manufacturing and assembly conditions, materials selection, and loading conditions. 1993 (0-471-59446-6) 454 pp.

The ultimate objective of any controls text is to teach students how to achieve the best possible design. In this new text, Wolovich integrates classical and modern techniques, systematically develops all the background material necessary to achieve the best possible design, and stresses flexibility to attain this goal. All the relevant controls topics are presented in a clear pedagogical sequence beginning with the equivalence of system descriptions, followed by coverage of performance goals and tests, and concluding with some new and innovative design methods for achieving the goals independent of the particular system description.

Organizations of all sizes and types are facing a duel threat and opportunity. At the very moment when global markets are becoming available, these organizations are losing valuable people resources due to "boomer" retirements and downsizing strategies. As the technologies arrive to facilitate knowledge sharing across organizational and people boundaries, the desire for job security is causing many employees to hold tightly to "their" business knowledge as a form of job security. When organizational knowledge erodes, organizations lose proven capabilities and eventually customers. This challenge may be one of the most significant facing organizations over the next two decades.

Written by an expert with more than 30 years of hands-on work as a consultant and educator, Managing Organizational Knowledge: 3rd Generation Knowledge Management and Beyond provides a clear, repeatable strategy for capturing organizational knowledge. It does so by first exploring the fundamental concepts that have emerged from the new discipline of Knowledge Management (KM) over the past ten years. It then provides several breakthroughs including:

A fresh, practical definition of KM

A definition of organizational knowledge based on data, information, and decision making

A proven strategy and templates for creating an inventory of significant organizational knowledge

A new, integrated KIPPAR Model that defines how to create a sustainable KM environment

A strategy where naturally occurring projects are routinely mined for contributions to an organization’s pool of intellectual assets

A series of implementation strategies for launching a KM initiative

So what makes this book different? What makes it worth reading? It provides a new perspective on KM, addressing the discipline from the perspective of a major organization; much of the previous writings in this area confuse individual knowledge with organizational knowledge. The author, Chuck Tryon, has been a consultant for major corporations since the early 1980s and has created tangible, innovative processes to help capture vital organizational knowledge, which has given him insight into the significant management challenges facing 21st century organizations—how to capture, transfer, and share meaningful knowledge that is vital to their survival. Communicating fresh concepts in this emerging field, the book distills this knowledge and helps you see where KM can take you in the future.

Table of Contents

Knowledge as an Asset—Really?

The New Realities of Knowledge Management

The Growing Knowledge Gap

Knowledge Opportunities

Return on Investment

A Call to Action

KM Beliefs

Knowledge Sharing and Reuse

Learning Organization

Best Practices

Communities of Practice

Conclusion

KM Processes

Knowledge Discovery

Knowledge Capture

Knowledge Organization

Knowledge Use

Knowledge Transfer

Knowledge Retention

Conclusion

Defining Organizational Knowledge

Knowledge Categories

Explicit, Tacit, and Implicit Knowledge

Knowledge Characteristics

Why Bother?

Conclusion

Recognizing Organizational Knowledge

Data

Information

Decision Making

Conclusion

The Knowledge Retention Policy—Level One

General Management Statement

Knowledge Asset Inventory

Knowledge Areas

Knowledge Topics

Knowledge Expert

Organizational Importance

Transfer Status

Knowledge Transfer Mechanisms

KTP Activities

Conclusion

The Knowledge Retention Policy—Level Two

Documentation

Training

Apprenticeships

Mentoring/Coaching

Cross-Training

Communications

Conclusion

A Model for Managing Organizational Knowledge

KIPPAR Model

The Knowledge Inventory

The Artifacts Pillar

The Processes Pillar

The Projects Pillar

Repository Products

KM Or ECM

Conclusion

Implementation Strategies

KM Initiation Activities

KM Operational Activities

Conclusion

Knowledge Management Solutions

Functionality

Usability

Personalized Knowledge Apps

Organizational Portals

Project Portals

Conclusion

Appendix A: KM Vision Statement

Appendix B: KRP—General Management Statement

Appendix C: KRP—Intellectual Assets Inventory

Appendix D: KRP—Knowledge Transfer Details

Index

Designed and written by professionals with extensive ISO 9000 Certification experience, the techniques and forms in this Manual have been used successfully to achieve certification at over 50 companies. The 90-Day ISO 9000 Manual provides the basic system you need in place to satisfy an ISO 9000 Audit. First, ISO 9000 is explained and the registration process described in detail. Next, you are taken through exactly what you need to do to prepare for an audit. You are given the working instructions and forms you need to meet certification requirements. The forms are unique and have been designed specifically for ISO 9000 standards. Since ISO 9000 is not designed to be a TQM program the authors have also included a special section that provides the information, instructions and forms needed for quality audits such as Q94 or Z1. If you want to take your program further than just ISO 9000 certification, the material is available to you. The 90-Day ISO 9000 Manual includes the latest published draft of Q91 DIS, which is the formal public review copy. Companies that have recently been audited have noticed that certain improvements in documentation have been expected by registrars. These improvements require rewording the old standards. The new standards have been incorporated in this manual and several schemes have been modified. The authors of The 90-Day ISO 9000 Manual have extensive experience working on ISO 9000 standards review, consulting with companies developing programs, registrar experience and international ISO 9000 activities. This manual will reflect a practical approach to registration for the next five years.

The manufacturing and service sector needs to resolve a lot of issues relating to products, process and service in everyday operation. Successful resolution depends on the methodology, rigor and systematic implementation techniques. The essential purpose of this book is to impart the necessary knowledge to the reader about concepts in six sigma problem-solving providing sufficient knowledge of problem lifecycle and ways to address the various issues arising therein. The 7 QC tools and A3 strategy are described and analyzed in detail with various examples encompassing a step by step approach a professional must know to address a problem in an industrial engineering set up. Key Features Conceptualizes six sigmas problem-solving providing sufficient knowledge of problem lifecycle and ways to address the various issues for manufacturing industry professionals Enables effective use of 7 QC tools for solving problems Addresses the problem- solving part very specifically in all the contexts of PDCA cycle of improvement, DMAIC methodology of organizational transformation, and TPM & TQM culture of productivity and quality improvement Written with A3 theme throughout enabling each problem-solving tool to follow a structured approach Includes relevant and practical examples and applications

Load-Oriented Manufacturing Control is unique as it gives comprehensive and self-contained principles for the implementation of an appropriate production control technique of general applicability. It is based on the "funnel model," a new approach to scheduling and scheduling control which has an extensive monitoring and diagnosis system. Its most important system components include throughput diagrams, load-oriented order release, schedule-oriented capacity planning and control. The "funnel model" is getting increasing implementation in manufacturing companies. It is available in numerous variants and is especially significant for the job-shop and series production. Load-Oriented Manufacturing Control provides a large number of practical examples and is therefore relatively easy to understand. It offers direct implementation of this new important technique in manufacturing scheduling and control.

Presenting: Problem Solving Sans Statistics Enhance your problem-solving skills, and improve your company's profitability using the methods outlined in Solving Complex Industrial Problems without Statistics. Introducing a process that involves working through problems and solutions without relying on complicated statistical design or analysis, this book pulls away from data-driven thinking and provides the problem solver with a new way of solving problems. Utilizing techniques that have been applied in facilities throughout the U.S., Canada, Italy, China, and Hong Kong, it demonstrates the use of process and problem differences and similarities, and provides a better understanding of analogous comparisons. The book incorporates visual analysis tools and problem examples in a format that facilitates comprehension and learning, presents novel concepts that do not require numbers or statistics, and provides a better understanding of the solution system/process overall. Each chapter presents new information, as well as case studies that include: Different problem situations Short histories detailing the operation, condition, and circumstances that were present at the time of each study Photographs, sketches, or tables with simple explanations to describe the circumstances, conditions, and the actions taken Methods of solution in rudimentary form Chapter summaries to review important mechanisms and workings Final summaries to tie together the important methods and techniques that facilitate easy problem solutions Solving Complex Industrial Problems without Statistics provides valuable insight into the solution of complex quality and manufacturing problems, without the use of statistics, and is essential to anyone involved in quality, control, problem-solving activities, or total quality management.

As optimization techniques have developed, a gap has arisen between the people devising the methods and the people who actually need to use them. Research into methods is necessarily long-term and located usually in academic establishments; whereas the application of an optimization technique, normally in an industrial environment, has to be justified financially in the short term. The gap is probably inevitable; but there is no need for textbooks to reflect it. Teaching of optimization techniques separately from their connection with applications is pointless. This book gives a detailed exposition of the techniques.

In this first volume, T. A. J. Nicholson demonstrates the full range of techniques available to the practitioner for the solution of varying problems. For each technique, the background reasoning behind its development is explained in simple terms; where helpful it is supported by a geometrical argument; and the iterative algorithm for finding the optimum is defined clearly. These steps enable the reader not only to see plainly what is happening in the method but also to reach a level of understanding necessary to write computer programs for optimization techniques.

Problems are tackled in the same way--by searching a feasible region for an optimum. This approach helps the reader to develop the most essential of all skills--selecting appropriate techniques for different circumstances. The numerous worked examples in the text, supported by worked solutions, and the exercises at the end of the chapters are important aids to learning and to teachers. This book serves as an introduction to optimization techniques for students as well as a reference work for the practitioner in business and industry.

"T. A. J. Nicholson" is Senior Lecturer at the London Business School with research and consulting interests in industrial control systems.

A much-awaited guide to real-world problems in modern control and estimation
This combined text and reference deals with the design of modern control systems. It is the first book in this rapidly growing field to approach optimal control and optimal estimation from a strictly pragmatic standpoint. Sidestepping the realm of theoretical mathematics, An Engineering Approach to Optimal Control and Estimation Theory offers realistic and workable solutions that can be put to immediate use by electrical and mechanical engineers in aerospace and in many other applications.
The author draws on his extensive experience in research and development from industry, government, and academia to present systematic, accessible coverage of all important topics, including:
* All basic mathematics needed to apply subsequent information
* A historical perspective on the evolution of modern control and estimation theory
* All major concepts relevant to the design of modern control systems--from the Kalman filter, to linear regulators, to decentralized Kalman filters
* Practical examples useful in applying the principles under discussion
* Problems at the end of each chapter
* Carefully selected references from the vast number of books published on this subject
* Appendixes reviewing matrix algebra that is central to modern control theory, as well as matrix subroutines, useful to both students and practicing engineers

Optimal Control and Estimation Theory
Optimal control and optimal estimation have seen tremendous growth over the past three decades, owing to major advances in aerospace and other types of engineering. Optimal control and estimation theory is crucial to the design of modern control systems; for instance, navigation, mobile robotics, or automated vehicles and aircraft. It ensures that variables such as temperatures or pressure are kept in check, regardless of the disturbance the system undergoes.
Despite the proliferation of books on the subject, most of the material published in this area is highly theoretical, and approaches the subject in a "theorem-proof" fashion, which is more appropriate to mathematics than to an engineering text. As its title suggests, An Engineering Approach to Optimal Control and Estimation Theory provides a practical and accessible guide, focusing on applications and implementation, and answering real-world questions faced by control engineers.
In its highly organized overview of all areas, the book examines the design of modern optimal controllers requiring the selection of a performance criterion, demonstrates optimization of linear systems with bounded controls and limited control effort, and considers nonlinearities and their effect on various types of signals.
Covering all the basics, the book deals with the evolution of optimal control and estimation theory, and presents the necessary mathematical background needed for this study. It also lists references and problems, and supplies appendixes for those wishing to delve into matrix algebra. Throughout, it offers opportunities for experimentation, while discussing analysis, various filtering methods, and many other pertinent topics.
An Engineering Approach to Optimal Control and Estimation Theory is an invaluable, self-contained reference for practicing engineers, a useful text for graduate students and qualified senior undergraduates, and an important resource for anyone interested in the future of modern control technology.

The interaction between engineering and the law is undergoing dramatic changes. Product liability, laws have been introduced in Japan, patent claims over living organisms have been made in bioengineering and the differing national laws of copyright protection and liability are in the process of harmonisation, especially in the European Union. The pace and complexity of these changes make it essential for technologists, lawyers, engineers and insurance experts to establish a common basis for understanding, co-operation and exchange of expertise. The recently founded International Society for Technology, Law and Insurance aims to foster such co-operation. This volume features 46 selected contributions which address various topical issues and the law. The most important issues relate to engineering risks, quality assurance and assessment and legal implications assiciated with them. Recent failure cases are explained and the technical, legal and insurance-related issues discussed in detail.