While there are many books written on the basics of the "supply" side of the supply chain (i.e. strategic sourcing, sourcing/procurement, and purchasing), there hasn't been much written on those areas from a Lean perspective. Considering that supply chain costs, primarily procurement and transportation, can range from 50 to 70% of sales, it's surprising that this area has not been fully explored. As a result, some companies tend to place too much emphasis on the traditional focus of reducing material costs instead of process improvement. Lean Demand-Driven Procurement: How to Apply Lean Thinking to Your Supply Management Process details the basic supply management concepts and processes (i.e. sourcing, procurement, and purchasing) in an easy-to-understand format in combination with various process improvement tools, methodologies, best practices, examples, and cases written from a Lean perspective. It focuses and pinpoints ways to identify waste on the supply side through improved processes and, in some cases, technology. Applying Lean principles to procurement and purchasing processes identies non-traditional sources of waste, and in some cases, creates a paradigm shift that results in additional benets to the entire supply chain.

"Micro-Cutting: Fundamentals and Applications" comprehensively covers the state of the art research and engineering practice in micro/nano cutting: an area which is becoming increasingly important, especially in modern micro-manufacturing, ultraprecision manufacturing and high value manufacturing.

This book provides basic theory, design and analysis of micro-toolings and machines, modelling methods and techniques, and integrated approaches for micro-cutting. The fundamental characteristics, modelling, simulation and optimization of micro/nano cutting processes are emphasized with particular reference to the predictabilty, producibility, repeatability and productivity of manufacturing at micro and nano scales.

The fundamentals of micro/nano cutting are applied to a variety of machining processes including diamond turning, micromilling, micro/nano grinding/polishing, ultraprecision machining, and the design and implementation of micro/nano cutting process chains and micromachining systems.

Key features- Contains contributions from leading global experts- Covers the fundamental theory of micro-cutting- Presents applications in a variety of machining processes- Includes examples of how to implement and apply micro-cutting for precision and micro-manufacturing

"Micro-Cutting: Fundamentals and Applications" is an ideal reference for manufacturing engineers, production supervisors, tooling engineers, planning and application engineers, as well as machine tool designers. It is also a suitable textbook for postgraduate students in the areas of micro-manufacturing, micro-engineering and advanced manufacturing methods.

Validation of computer systems is the process that assures the formal assessment and report of quality and performance measures for all the life-cycle stages of software and system development, its implementation, qualification and acceptance, operation, modification, requalification, maintenance and retirement (PICS CSV PI 011-3). It is a process that demonstrates the compliance of computer systems functional and non-functional requirements, data integrity, regulated company procedures and safety requirements, industry standards, and applicable regulatory authority's requirements. Compliance is a state of being in adherence to application-related standards or conventions or regulations in laws and similar prescriptions. This book, which is relevant to the pharmaceutical and medical devices regulated operations, provides practical information to assist in the computer validation to production systems, while highlighting and efficiently integrating worldwide regulation into the subject. A practical approach is presented to increase efficiency and to ensure that the validation of computer systems is correctly achieved.

Processing of polymer nanocomposites usually requires special attention since the resultant structure-micro- and nano-level, is directly influenced by among other factors, polymer/nano-additive chemistry and the processing strategy. This book consolidates knowledge, from fundamental to product development, on polymer nanocomposites processing with special emphasis on the processing-structure-property-performance relationships in a wide range of polymer nanocomposites. Furthermore, this book focuses on emerging processing technologies such as electrospinning, which has very exciting applications ranging from medical to filtration. Additionally, the important role played by the nanoparticles in polymer blends structures has been illustrated in the current book, with special focus on fundamental aspects and properties of nanoparticles migration and interface crossing in immiscible polymer blend nanocomposites. This book introduces readers to nanomaterials and polymer nanocomposites processing. After defining nanoparticles and polymer nanocomposites and discussing environmental aspects, the second chapter focuses on the synthesis and functionalization of nanomaterials with applications in polymers. A brief overview on nanoclay and nanoclay-containing polymer nanocomposites is provided in third chapter. The fourth chapter provides an overview of the polymer nanocomposites structural elucidation techniques, such as X-ray diffraction and scattering, microscopy and spectroscopy, rheology. The fifth chapter is dedicated to the polymer nanocomposites processing technologies, among which electrospinning, which has very exciting applications ranging from medical to filtration. The last chapter provides an overview on how melt-processing strategy impact structure and mechanical properties of polymer nanocomposites by taking polypropylene-clay nanocomposite as a model system. The book is useful to undergraduate and postgraduate students (polymer engineering, materials science & engineering, chemical & process engineering), as well as research & development personnel, engineers, and material scientists.

In 1962, Masahiro Shima founded Shima Seiki, with the aim of developing a fully automated seamless glove-knitting machine. Following this success, the company expanded into flat knitting machines. However, the age of the computer brought a whole new era for Shima Seiki. By committing to computerization in its mainstream products, Shima Seiki gradually began to stand apart from its competitors. Shima Seiki's focus on computer-aided knit design and programming, in fact led to a revolution in the fashion industry. Written by the inventor himself, this book looks at how Masahiro Shima developed both the technology and philosophy to enable his company to be market leaders in industrial knitting machines - and fundamentally change the fashion industry. This culminated in the launch of the company's Wholegarment knitting machine in 1995, which altered forever the way knitted garments are produced, and which today is used by fashion manufacturers across the world.

Grand Complications, Volume IV provides a detailed overview of complicated watchmaking. This reference work for connoisseurs deals with each of the major horological complications by theme, from their history through to their most recent developments. Multi-complications, minute repeaters and sonneries, tourbillons, equations of time, perpetual calendars, chronographs, jump hours and retrograde mechanisms, GMTs and multiple time zones are reviewed in great detail. The latest creations by over twenty-three elite watch manufacturers are displayed and accompanied by technical descriptions, comprising more than 700 pages in this book that has already earned respect among connoisseurs.

The series Topics in Current Chemistry Collections presents critical reviews from the journal Topics in Current Chemistry organized in topical volumes. The scope of coverage is all areas of chemical science including the interfaces with related disciplines such as biology, medicine and materials science. The goal of each thematic volume is to give the non-specialist reader, whether in academia or industry, a comprehensive insight into an area where new research is emerging which is of interest to a larger scientific audience. Each review within the volume critically surveys one aspect of that topic and places it within the context of the volume as a whole. The most significant developments of the last 5 to 10 years are presented using selected examples to illustrate the principles discussed. The coverage is not intended to be an exhaustive summary of the field or include large quantities of data, but should rather be conceptual, concentrating on the methodological thinking that will allow the non-specialist reader to understand the information presented. Contributions also offer an outlook on potential future developments in the field.

This book will address key organizational issues that must be considered and addressed when implementing Lean business practices. The book offers solutions for many of the challenges, provides a resource that leaders can use in addressing cultural and regulatory issues, provides means to address the associated people issues and the challenging task of knowledge retention and succession planning. Vignettes are used to illustrate and provide examples of potential issues and solutions that can be considered for resolving issues and a case study demonstrating ways to address the technical and people aspects of implementing Lean to ensure project success.

This book covers concepts and the latest developments on microscale flow and heat transfer phenomena involving a gas. The book is organised in two parts: the first part focuses on the fluid flow and heat transfer characteristics of gaseous slip flows. The second part presents modelling of such flows using higher-order continuum transport equations. The Navier-Stokes equations based solution is provided to various problems in the slip regime. Several interesting characteristics of slip flows along with useful empirical correlations are documented in the first part of the book. The examples bring out the failure of the conventional equations to adequately describe various phenomena at the microscale. Thereby the readers are introduced to higher order continuum transport (Burnett and Grad) equations, which can potentially overcome these limitations. A clear and easy to follow step by step derivation of the Burnett and Grad equations (superset of the Navier-Stokes equations) is provided in the second part of the book. Analytical solution of these equations, the latest developments in the field, along with scope for future work in this area are also brought out. Presents characteristics of flow in the slip and transition regimes for a clear understanding of microscale flow problems; Provides a derivation of Navier-Stokes equations from microscopic viewpoint; Features a clear and easy to follow step-by-step approach to derive Burnett and Grad equations; Describes a complete compilation of few known exact solutions of the Burnett and Grad equations, along with a discussion of the solution aided with plots; Introduces the variants of the Navier-Stokes, Burnett and Grad equations, including the recently proposed Onsager-Burnett and O13 moment equations.

This book provides sensible, practical assistance on pressure equipment. European Pressure Equipment has been written using the day-to-day practical experience of pressure vessel users, manufacturers and suppliers for specifiers, and users of pressure equipment. It has been compiled to provide practical information about all aspects of design, selection and use. The book is aimed at everyone who has technical problems as well as those wanting to know more about pressure equipment and the Pressure Equipment Directive (PED), and also those who want to know who supplies what, and from where in Europe. Aimed at users of pressure vessels in industries such as the power, oil, petrochemical, chemical, pharmaceutical, food, utility and other industries, and also those involved in the specifying and purchasing of pressure vessels and ancillary equipment. The book will of course be of considerable use to designers and manufacturers. Content include: General - Legislation and standards - Specification of pressure vessels - Design - Manufacture - Inspection and testing - Installation, maintenance and in-service inspection - Units and conversions and materials data - Useful terms translated - Classification guide to manufacturers and suppliers - Reference index

The emergence of the book was not merely an event of world historical importance, but the dawn of modernity. In this much praised work, Lucien Febvre and Henri-Jean Martin mesh together economic and technological history, sociology and anthropology, with the study of consciousness itself to root the development of printing in the changing social relations and ideological struggles of Western Europe. Now that the printed page may become a thing of the past, "The Coming of the Book" is more pertinent than ever.

This book reports on cutting-edge modeling techniques, methodologies and tools used to understand, design and engineer nanoscale communication systems, such as molecular communication systems. Moreover, it includes introductory materials for those who are new to the field. The book's interdisciplinary approach, which merges perspectives in computer science, the biological sciences and nanotechnology, will appeal to graduate students and researchers in these three areas.The book is organized into five parts, the first of which describes the fundamentals of molecular communication, including basic concepts, models and designs. In turn, the second part examines specific types of molecular communication found in biological systems, such as neuronal communication in the brain. The book continues by exploring further types of nanoscale communication, such as fluorescence resonance energy transfer and electromagnetic-based nanoscale communication, in the third part, and by describing nanomaterials and structures for practical applications in the fourth. Lastly, the book presents nanomedical applications such as targeted drug delivery and biomolecular sensing.

Among the wealth of documents in the Matthew Boulton Papers, detailing the development of the steam engine, designs for silverware, and ideas about the nature of electricity, there is hidden another, more personal story, a story not told before: the story of Matthew Boulton's beloved daughter, Anne. Anne Boulton (1768-1829) was her father's 'Fair Maid of the Mill'. The Birmingham industrial pioneer and his daughter wrote to each other often when he was away from home, and their warm, affectionate and sometimes funny letters give us an insight into their relationship, but Anne's story is also pieced together, like a jigsaw puzzle, from fragments in other people's postscripts. Her health, mobility problems, education, interests, clothes, friends, travels, love-life and household are all to be found in this gossipy book, which throws the spotlight for the first time on the family life of the Boultons and also provides a fresh perspective on the character of Matthew Boulton himself. From the thrills of Matlock to the gory miseries of tooth transplants, and from James Watt's wife's opinion of the Cornish to the necessity of mastering the minuet, the book is packed with detail of 18th-century life, much of it described by the individuals in their own words. The result of extensive research in the "Matthew Boulton Papers" in Birmingham City Archives, the book also brings us face to face with Anne for the first time, in the shape of a previously unpublished portrait of her as a young girl.

Reactive inkjet printing uses an inkjet printer to dispense one or more reactants onto a substrate to generate a physical or chemical reaction to form a product in situ. Thus, unlike traditional inkjet printing, the printed film chemistry differs to that of the initial ink droplets. The appeal of reactive inkjet printing as a chemical synthesis tool is linked to its ability to produce droplets whose size is both controllable and predictable, which means that the individual droplets can be thought of as building blocks where droplets can be added to the substrate in a high precision format to give good control and predictability over the chemical reaction. The book starts by introducing the concept of using reactive inkjet printing as a building block for making materials. Aspects such as the behaviour of printed droplets on substrate and their mixing is discussed in the first chapters. The following chapters then discuss different applications of the technique in areas including additive manufacturing and silk production, production of materials used in solar cells, printed electronics, dentistry and tissue engineering. Edited by two leading experts, Reactive Inkjet Printing: A Chemical Synthesis Tool provides a comprehensive overview of this technique and its use in fabricating functional materials for health and energy applications. The book will appeal to advanced level students in materials science.

This book presents the technological basics and applications of small-scale (mm to sub-mm in length-scales) soft robots and devices, written for researchers in both academia and industry. Author Jaeyoun Kim presents technological motivations, enabling factors, and examples in an inter-linked fashion, making it easy for readers to understand and explore how microscale soft robots are a solution to researchers in search of technological platforms for safe, human-friendly biomedical devices. A compact and timely introduction, this book summarizes not only the enabling factors for soft robots and MEMS devices, but also provides a survey of progress in the field and looks to the future in terms of the material, design, and application aspects this technology demonstrates.

Many companies applying lean use a top-down approach - a person or small group defines the business process in general terms and progressively expands it into more detailed elements. This method fails when the person or small group defining the process lacks the detailed knowledge of the tasks involved to sequence them correctly. Creating Lean Corporations, by Jeffrey Morgan, however, utilizes a bottom-up approach in which the employees who perform the tasks are empowered to create and manage their own portions of the business process. Each task is defined using a task model that indicates the input-output relationships between tasks -- it dictates the sequence that the tasks should be performed within the business process. This approach is essential for creating and improving business processes that are large and complex but still efficient.The author presents three concepts in applying lean principles to an organization: (1) Hierarchies for managing large, complex systems and processes -- A template for all lean organizations is presented that allows functional (horizontal) and process-oriented (vertical) groups to be integrated into a single organizational hierarchy where command-and-control is clear and direct. (2) The use of process models to define the organization's business processes -- A standard method of process modeling that allows business processes to be represented and managed as hierarchies. The benefit of this approach is that process management is implemented in a hierarchical fashion where the level of detail increases as you move down the levels in the hierarchy. (3) A lean, bottom-up approach to business process reengineering - this works much better than traditional top-down approaches on larger, more complex business processes. This lean approach was successfully applied at a major automotive manufacturing company and was awarded the Charles F. Boss Kettering Award as one of the most important technological innovations in 2000.This book is for business process managers (especially lean leaders) who seek to reengineer their business processes using lean principles.

Mechanics and Model-Based Control of Advanced Engineering Systems collects 32 contributions presented at the International Workshop on Advanced Dynamics and Model Based Control of Structures and Machines, which took place in St. Petersburg, Russia in July 2012. The workshop continued a series of international workshops, which started with a Japan-Austria Joint Workshop on Mechanics and Model Based Control of Smart Materials and Structures and a Russia-Austria Joint Workshop on Advanced Dynamics and Model Based Control of Structures and Machines. In the present volume, 10 full-length papers based on presentations from Russia, 9 from Austria, 8 from Japan, 3 from Italy, one from Germany and one from Taiwan are included, which represent the state of the art in the field of mechanics and model based control, with particular emphasis on the application of advanced structures and machines.

A successful cyber-physical system, a complex interweaving of hardware and software with some part of the physical environment, depends on proper identification of the, often pre-existing, physical element. A bespoke "cyber" part of the system may then be designed from scratch. Optimal Mobile Sensing and Actuation Strategies in Cyber-physical Systems focuses on distributed-parameter systems the dynamics of which can be modelled with partial differential equations. These are very challenging to observe, their states and inputs being distributed throughout a spatial domain. Consequently, systematic approaches to the optimization of sensor location have to be devised for parameter estimation. The text begins by reviewing the field of cyber-physical systems and introducing background notions of distributed parameter systems and optimal observation theory. New research problems are then defined within this framework. Two important problems considered are optimal mobile sensor trajectory planning and the accuracy effects and allocation of remote sensors. These are followed up with a solution to the problem of optimal robust estimation. Actuation policies are then introduced into the framework with the purpose of improving estimation and optimizing the trajectories of both sensors and actuators simultaneously. The large number of illustrations within the text will assist the reader to visualize the application of the methods proposed. A group of similar examples are used throughout the book to help the reader assimilate the material more easily. The monograph concentrates on the use of methods for which a cyber-physical-systems infrastructure is required. The methods are computationally heavy and require mobile sensors and actuators with communications abilities. Application examples cover fields from environmental science to national security so that readers are encouraged to link the ideas of cyber-physical systems with their own research.

This book presents some of the latest achievements in nanotechnology and nanomaterials from leading researchers in Ukraine, Europe, and beyond. It features contributions from participants in the 2nd International Summer School "Nanotechnology: From Fundamental Research to Innovations" and International Research and Practice Conference "Nanotechnology and Nanomaterials", NANO-2013, which were held in Bukovel, Ukraine on August 25-September 1, 2013. These events took place within the framework of the European Commission FP7 project Nanotwinning, and were organized jointly by the Institute of Physics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, University of Tartu (Estonia), University of Turin (Italy), and Pierre and Marie Curie University (France). Internationally recognized experts from a wide range of universities and research institutions share their knowledge and key results on topics ranging from nanooptics, nanoplasmonics, and interface studies to energy storage and biomedical applications.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the VLSI design process. It covers end-to-end system on chip (SoC) design, including design methodology, the design environment, tools, choice of design components, handoff procedures, and design infrastructure needs. The book also offers critical guidance on the latest UPF-based low power design flow issues for deep submicron SOC designs, which will prepare readers for the challenges of working at the nanotechnology scale. This practical guide will provide engineers who aspire to be VLSI designers with the techniques and tools of the trade, and will also be a valuable professional reference for those already working in VLSI design and verification with a focus on complex SoC designs. A comprehensive practical guide for VLSI designers; Covers end-to-end VLSI SoC design flow; Includes source code, case studies, and application examples.

This book focuses on the recent progress in nanophotonics technology to be used to develop novel nano-optical devices, fabrication technology and advanced systems. It reviews light-emitting diodes and lasers made of silicon bulk crystals in which the light emission principle is based on dressed-photon-phonons. Further topics include: theoretical studies of optoelectronic properties of molecular condensates for organic solar cells and light-emitting devices, the basics of topological light beams together with their important properties for laser spectroscopy, spatially localized modes emerging in nonlinear discrete dynamic systems and theoretical methods to explore the dynamics of nanoparticles by the light-induced force of tailored light fields under thermal fluctuations. These topics are reviewed by leading scientists. This overview is a variable resource for engineers and scientists working in the field of nanophotonics.

The printed book is one of life's most frequently encountered technologies. Historian Nicole Howard provides a comprehensive survey of the evolution of this technology, tracing its development across many centuries and cultures. No other technology in human history, declares Howard, has had the impact of this invention. By examining the book as a technology, Howard reveals how profoundly information and media have shaped history and how vital the technology of the book has been to cultural and intellectual change. This engaging study extends from clay tablets and rolls of papyrus to bound folio sheets, from inks and scripts to lead type and printing presses, from the Linotype machine to the laptop. Cross-cultural in scope, it examines innovations in the production and manufacture of books from the Middle and Far East, Europe, and the Americas. Howard recounts printing techniques from Gutenberg's first press to 21st-century electronic publishing. Howard's broad overview and accessible writing style make this book ideal for students and bibliophiles alike. The volume includes a glossary of terms, a timeline of important events, and a selected bibliography of useful resources for further information.

This book discusses microstructure-property correlations and explores key microstructure features and how they affect the properties of a material. The authors discuss the effect of manufacturing and processing routes on microstructure and properties. They identify appropriate microstructure and mechanical characterization techniques essential for developing accurate microstructure-property relationships. The techniques include high resolution imaging methods and properties measurements such as hardness, strength, elastic modulus, and fracture toughness. Current and future trends in hard and superhard material design are revealed by the authors, including nanostructured materials, biomimicry, and novel manufacturing technologies.

The concept of "invisible art" was famously applied by the late John Ryder to his vocation, typography. Here its scope is extended to the entire publishing process. The better the tasks of editing, lay-out and external design are carried out, the less "visible" it is that skilful hands have been at work. When these tasks are done badly, the inadequacies are all too visible and form a barrier between a book and its reception by the intended readers. This volume is about achieving and maintaining high standards in scholarly publishing in the social sciences - the author's own chosen specialist field. Drawing on his long "hands-on" experience, Christopher Hurst takes the reader, in the first part, on an analytical journey through a typical book from start to finish, missing out nothing (including illustrations, maps and tables). A central section is devoted to the use and abuse of the English language. The second part is specifically about the publisher's editorial role, both in relation to the author and in seeing the book through from unedited script to finished volume, including externals like the cover, binding and paper. Finding the right title and cover design, and striking the right balance in the periodical catalogue, are discussed under the heading, "Sending Signals". Occasional disasters, and the measures necessary for their avoidance, are not overlooked. The overlap of editorial and legal functions is dealt with in the final section.

This is a primary text project that combines sustainability development with engineering entrepreneurship and design to present a transdisciplinary approach to modern engineering education. The book is distinguished by extensive descriptions of concepts in sustainability, its principles, and its relevance to environment, economy, and society. It can be read by all engineers regardless of their disciplines as well as by engineering students as they would be future designers of products and systems. This book presents a flexible organization of knowledge in various fields, which allows to be used as a text in a number of courses including for example, engineering entrepreneurship and design, engineering innovation and leadership, and sustainability in engineering design