Modeling, in the past 60 years, has been constantly evolving and has revolutionized the industrial sector. Its continuous development will still have profound impact in the upcoming future. For big or small companies, modeling is a tool which brings technical improvement and profitability. What is modeling? What are the benefits and limits? What are the best practices, technical and non-technical, to apply? The objective of this book is to bring answers to these questions in a synthetic and transversal manner, so that engineers, managers and directors can see future challenges not as a threat, but as an opportunity. Features: Transversal and synthetic view on modeling, written in a clear and pragmatic way Technical best practices to build/ develop a model Non-technical best practices to efficiently deploy modeling in companies All best practices discussed in the book have been truly already implemented in past situations Theory is illustrated in a case study from the beginning to the end of the book

Chinese manufacturing industries continue to impact the world economy. It is important to understand what is happening in China and the uniqueness of Chinese manufacturing industries. Manufacturing Productivity in China brings together a group of authors from academia and industry to give an industrial engineering micro viewpoint instead of an economical macro viewpoint to this subject. It includes first-hand case studies to better understand the competitiveness of Chinese manufacturing industries. Although many researchers attribute China's manufacturing success to the competitiveness of low labor and materials cost, in reality, many other factors are at play. Investment in manufacturing engineering education and innovation also plays a role. With twelve case studies written by foremost authorities from Tsinghua University, this book covers a broad range of manufacturing industries-transitional, state-owned, and private enterprises. However, each case study highlights the innovation of Chinese manufacturing and enhancement of production efficiency, with concepts bolstered by a significant number of figures and tables. The book explores the history of China's success, beginning with the planned economy from 1949-1977, to the reforms of the latter part of the twentieth century, to the emergence of industrial engineering and innovation. An inside look at the stories behind the successful manufacturing processes, this book provides an unbiased view of the success of "Made in China".

A substantial amount of research has been conducted on consecutive k-out-of-n and related reliability systems over the past four decades. These systems have been used to model various engineering systems such as the microwave stations of telecoms network, oil pipeline systems, and vacuum systems in an electron accelerator. As such, studies of reliability properties of consecutive k-out-of-n structures have attracted significant attention from both theoretical and practical approaches. In the modern era of technology, the redundancies are employed in the various industrial systems to prevent them from failure/sudden failure or to recover from failures. This book is meant to provide knowledge and help engineers and academicians in understanding reliability engineering by using k-out-of-n structures. The material is also targeted at postgraduate or senior undergraduate students pursuing reliability engineering.

This book applies systems thinking to treat project management in a systemic and systematic manner from a problem-solving perspective. Considering the project as a system, the book discusses traditional project planning and organizing, as well as some neglected aspects of the project, namely how to prevent cost and schedule escalation, how to deal with change, recognize problems in time to prevent project failure and what to do when things go wrong during the implementation states of a project. This book provides you with a better understanding of the systems approach to problem-solving and project management that will enable you to be more successful at managing projects. Features Treats projects as systems Presents project management as a problem-solving paradigm Discusses how to incorporate prevention into planning and how to show the value Describes what to do and how to cope with unanticipated problems that arise during the project implementation state Introduces new tools and techniques

Key Features Collects the ideas underpinning the AHP method and discusses them together with many improvements and extensions present in the literature. As a result, the reader will receive a much more complete picture of the method. Aimed at theorists and advanced practitioners from a wide range of scientific fields, including the social, management, and technical sciences Highlights the intuitive assumptions underlying the mathematical methods that make up AHP and the pairwise comparisons method Provides software code for readers who wish to practise AHP analysis using Wolfram Language.

This book presents a comprehensive compilation of practical systems engineering models. The application and recognition of systems engineering is spreading rapidly, however there is no book that addresses the availability and usability of systems engineering models. Notable among the models to be included are the V-Model, DEJI Model, and Waterfall Model. There are other models developed for specific organizational needs, which will be identified and presented in a practical template so that other organizations can learn and use them. A better understanding of the models, through a comprehensive book, will make these models more visible, embraced, and applied across the spectrum. Visit www.DEJImodel.com for model details. Features Covers applications to both small and large problems Displays decomposition of complex problems into smaller manageable chunks Discusses direct considerations of the pertinent constraints that exist in the problem domain Presents systematic linking of inputs to goals and outputs

There is often a deep disconnect between the project team's goals and those of the organization. Senior management wants "profitable" projects, but is only able to quantify its wishes in terms of the traditional project management elements: schedule and cost. To operate smoothly, the entire organization must be driven by the single goal of project profitability. Total Project Control presents valuable enhancements to the traditional project management approach, introducing new metrics and techniques for assessing the performance and profitability of projects. Demonstrating how to maximize the business value of a project, this book discusses new profitability-based data metrics, such as expected monetary value (EMV), expected project profit (EPP), Devaux's Index of Project Performance (DIPP), critical path drag, drag cost, and the cost of leveling with unresolved bottlenecks (CLUB). The impact of implementing these metrics can be far reaching. Not only will good management decisions, at both the project and executive levels, be supported by quantitative data, but bad decisions will become harder to justify. This book shows how to compute and use the new metrics to rightsize staffing levels for projects, programs, and organizations. It also explains what every project manager needs to know about earned value tracking: its uses, abuses, value, distortions, and potential fixes. The book then extends these metrics into techniques for indexing, tracking, progressing, and improving the business value of projects. See What's New in the Second Edition: Includes new diagrams and new ways of computing critical path drag in complex networks Introduces DIPP Performance Index tracking Offers new exercises in how to compute critical path drag and drag cost and use them to maximize project value Focuses on topics senior management needs to be assured the project team is using to maximize project profitability

Engineering systems are an important element of world economy. Each year billions of dollars are spent to develop, manufacture, operate, and maintain various types of engineering systems about the globe. The reliability and usability of these systems have become important because of their increasing complexity, sophistication, and non-specialist users. Global competition and other factors are forcing manufacturers to produce highly reliable and usable engineering systems. Along with examples and solutions, this book integrates engineering systems reliability and usability into a single volume for those individuals that directly or indirectly are concerned with these areas.

What does it mean to "fail" in performance? How might staging failure reveal theatre's potential to expand our understanding of social, political and everyday reality? What can we learn from performances that expose and then celebrate their ability to fail?

In Performance Theatre and the Poetics of Failure, Sara Jane Bailes begins with Samuel Beckett and considers failure in performance as a hopeful strategy. She examines the work of internationally acclaimed UK and US experimental theatre companies Forced Entertainment, Goat Island and Elevator Repair Service, addressing accepted narratives about artistic and cultural value in contemporary theatre-making. Her discussion draws on examples where misfire, the accidental and the intentionally amateur challenge our perception of skill and virtuosity in such diverse modes of performance as slapstick and punk.

Detailed rehearsal and performance analysis are used to engage theory and contextualise practice, extending the dialogue between theatre arts, live art and postmodern dance. The result is a critical account of performance theatre that offers essential reading for practitioners, scholars and students of Performance, Theatre and Dance Studies.

Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) are currently recognized as the most suitable platform for the implementation of complex digital systems targeting an increasing number of industrial electronics applications. They cover a huge variety of application areas, such as: aerospace, food industry, art, industrial automation, automotive, biomedicine, process control, military, logistics, power electronics, chemistry, sensor networks, robotics, ultrasound, security, and artificial vision. This book first presents the basic architectures of the devices to familiarize the reader with the fundamentals of FPGAs before identifying and discussing new resources that extend the ability of the devices to solve problems in new application domains. Design methodologies are discussed and application examples are included for some of these domains, e.g., mechatronics, robotics, and power systems.

Strategic success of industry depends upon manufacturing competencies (i.e., the competitive advantage to ensure better quality and reliability), which will increase sales and create a sound customer base. Competitive priorities are the operating advantages that are assessed, evaluated, and measured within the parameters of cost, quality, time, design, and flexibility. The book explains the manufacturing competencies upon which the strategic success of the automobile industry depends. The impact of manufacturing competency on strategic success is analyzed and modelled using suitable qualitative and quantitative techniques. Key Features Outlines manufacturing competencies in correlation with successful strategic planning for current manufacturing environment Provides methodology or guidelines for linking defined strategic plans with manufacturing competencies Defines strategic success in the context of the automobile industry Analyses and models manufacturing competency impacts using qualitative and quantitative techniques Develops qualitative models with real-time case studies

This book covers an interdisciplinary approach for understanding mathematical modeling by offering a collection of models, solved problems related to the models, the methodologies employed, and the results using projects and case studies with insight into the operation of substantial real-time systems. The book covers a broad scope in the areas of statistical science, probability, stochastic processes, fluid dynamics, supply chain, optimization, and applications. It discusses advanced topics and the latest research findings, uses an interdisciplinary approach for real-time systems, offers a platform for integrated research, and identifies the gaps in the field for further research. The book is for researchers, students, and teachers that share a goal of learning advanced topics and the latest research in mathematical modeling.

Root Cause Analysis, or RCA, "What is it?" Everyone uses the term, but everyone does it differently. How can we have any uniformity in our approach, much less accurately compare our results, if we're applying different definitions? At a high level, we will explain the difference between RCA and Shallow Cause Analysis, because that is the difference between allowing a failure to recur or dramatically reducing the risk of recurrence. In this book, we will get down to basics about RCA, the fundamentals of blocking and tackling, and explain the common steps of any investigative occupation. Common investigation steps include: Preserving evidence (data)/not allowing hearsay to fly as fact Organizing an appropriate team/minimizing potential bias Analyzing the events/reconstructing the incident based on actual evidence Communicating findings and recommendations/ensuring effective recommendations are actually developed and implemented Tracking bottom-line results/ensuring that identified, meaningful metrics were attained We explore, "Why don't things always go as planned?" When our actual plans deviate from our intended plans, we usually experience some type of undesirable or unintended outcome. We analyze the anatomy of a failure (undesirable outcome) and provide a step-by-step guide to conducting a comprehensive RCA based on our 3+ decades of applying RCA as we have successfully practiced it in the field. This book is written as a how-to guide to effectively apply the PROACT (R) RCA methodology to any undesirable outcome, is directed at practitioners who have to do the real work, focuses on the core elements of any investigation, and provides a field-proven case as a model for effective application. This book is for anyone charged with having a thorough understanding of why something went wrong, such as those in EH&S, maintenance, reliability, quality, engineering, and operations to name just a few.

Optimization is the act of obtaining the "best" result under given circumstances. In design, construction, and maintenance of any engineering system, engineers must make technological and managerial decisions to minimize either the effort or cost required or to maximize benefits. There is no single method available for solving all optimization problems efficiently. Several optimization methods have been developed for different types of problems. The optimum-seeking methods are mathematical programming techniques (specifically, nonlinear programming techniques). Nonlinear Optimization: Models and Applications presents the concepts in several ways to foster understanding. Geometric interpretation: is used to re-enforce the concepts and to foster understanding of the mathematical procedures. The student sees that many problems can be analyzed, and approximate solutions found before analytical solutions techniques are applied. Numerical approximations: early on, the student is exposed to numerical techniques. These numerical procedures are algorithmic and iterative. Worksheets are provided in Excel, MATLAB (R), and Maple (TM) to facilitate the procedure. Algorithms: all algorithms are provided with a step-by-step format. Examples follow the summary to illustrate its use and application. Nonlinear Optimization: Models and Applications: Emphasizes process and interpretation throughout Presents a general classification of optimization problems Addresses situations that lead to models illustrating many types of optimization problems Emphasizes model formulations Addresses a special class of problems that can be solved using only elementary calculus Emphasizes model solution and model sensitivity analysis About the author: William P. Fox is an emeritus professor in the Department of Defense Analysis at the Naval Postgraduate School. He received his Ph.D. at Clemson University and has taught at the United States Military Academy and at Francis Marion University where he was the chair of mathematics. He has written many publications, including over 20 books and over 150 journal articles. Currently, he is an adjunct professor in the Department of Mathematics at the College of William and Mary. He is the emeritus director of both the High School Mathematical Contest in Modeling and the Mathematical Contest in Modeling.

There is an important overlap between science and design. The most significant technological developments cannot be produced without designers to conceptualize them. By the same token, designers cannot do their job properly without a good understanding of the scientific or technical principles that are being developed within the product. Science in Design: Solidifying Design with Science and Technology reveals the significance of the essential yet understudied intersection of design and scientific academic research and encompasses technological development, scientific principles, and the point of overlap between science and design. Encourages readers to comprehend the role of science in all facets of design Discusses the fundamental involvement of science required for engineering and design irrespective of whether the design is from an individual, business, or social perspective Covers the ontology, characteristics, and application of science in major fields of design education and design research, with an introduction of emerging practices transforming sustainable growth through applied behavioral models Depicts the art and science of material selection using new design techniques and technology advances like augmented reality, AI, and decision-support toolkits This unique book will benefit scientists, technologists, and engineers, as well as designers and professionals, across a variety of industries dealing with scientific analysis of design research methodology, design lifecycle, and problem solving.

There is an important overlap between science and design. The most significant technological developments cannot be produced without designers to conceptualize them. By the same token, designers cannot do their job properly without a good understanding of the scientific or technical principles that are being developed within the product. Science in Design: Solidifying Design with Science and Technology reveals the significance of the essential yet understudied intersection of design and scientific academic research and encompasses technological development, scientific principles, and the point of overlap between science and design. Encourages readers to comprehend the role of science in all facets of design Discusses the fundamental involvement of science required for engineering and design irrespective of whether the design is from an individual, business, or social perspective Covers the ontology, characteristics, and application of science in major fields of design education and design research, with an introduction of emerging practices transforming sustainable growth through applied behavioral models Depicts the art and science of material selection using new design techniques and technology advances like augmented reality, AI, and decision-support toolkits This unique book will benefit scientists, technologists, and engineers, as well as designers and professionals, across a variety of industries dealing with scientific analysis of design research methodology, design lifecycle, and problem solving.

The City of Manchester, once the birthplace of the 1st Industrial Revolution, is today a pioneering hub of the 4th Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0), offering Industry 4.0 solutions in advanced materials, engineering, healthcare and social sciences. Indeed, the creation of some of the city's greatest academic institutions was a direct outcome of the industrial revolution, so it was something of a homecoming that the Sustainable Smart Manufacturing (S2M) Conference was hosted by The University of Manchester in 2019. The conference was jointly organised by The University of Manchester, The University of Lisbon and The Polytechnic of Leiria - the latter two bringing in a wealth of expertise in how Industry 4.0 manifests itself in the context of sustainably evolving, deeply-rooted cities. S2M-2019 instigated the development of 61 papers selected for publication in this book on areas of Smart Manufacturing, Additive Manufacturing and Virtual Prototyping, Materials for Healthcare Applications and Circular Economy, Design Education, and Urban Spaces.

This book is for those interested in number systems, abstract algebra, and analysis. It provides an understanding of negative and fractional numbers with theoretical background and explains rationale of irrational and complex numbers in an easy to understand format. This book covers the fundamentals, proof of theorems, examples, definitions, and concepts. It explains the theory in an easy and understandable manner and offers problems for understanding and extensions of concept are included. The book provides concepts in other fields and includes an understanding of handling of numbers by computers. Research scholars and students working in the fields of engineering, science, and different branches of mathematics will find this book of interest, as it provides the subject in a clear and concise way.

Recent toxicological studies show that nanoparticles released in technological processes and combustion processes outside industry can be dangerous for humans especially when entering the body through the mouth and nose. In connection with the above, the use of adequately effective respiratory protection equipment is of great importance in prophylactic and preventive activities. The first part of Nanoaerosols, Air Filtering and Respiratory Protection: Science and Practice refers to the general phenomena of filtration described on the basis of the authors' own experience and international reports. The book also includes a description of the respiratory system and principles of its functioning and the accumulation of aerosol particles. It goes on to discuss technological innovations regarding the production of filtering materials for protection against nanoparticles and the latest test methods. Finally, the book contains information about the proper selection and use of respiratory protective devices against airborne nanoparticles in the workplace and everyday life. Special attention is paid to proper fit procedures as well as use and maintenance activities of such devices. The content of the book with rich illustrative material has been presented so that it can be used by health and safety experts, students as well as employers, employees and private users of respiratory protective devices. "Through a comprehensive approach to the subject of the work, the authors present theoretical foundations as well as practical solutions that are used in the research and development of personal respiratory protection. The complementarity of the information contained in the book will allow the reader to become familiar with a wide range of knowledge related to the design and manufacture as well as assessment of properties and procedures for the use of respiratory protection against the adverse effects of aerosols, including air contaminated with nanoparticles and microparticles. In my opinion the book is a valuable part of the series Occupational Safety, Health, and Ergonomics: Theory and Practice, published by Taylor & Francis." -Maciej Bogun, LUKASIEWICZ - The Textile Research Institute, Lodz

Applied Systems Analysis: Science and Art of Solving Real-Life Problems Subject Guide: Engineering - Industrial and Manufacturing Any activity is aimed at solving certain problems, which means transferring a system from an existing unsatisfactory problematic state to a desired state. The success or failure of the system depends on how its natural properties were implemented during the planning of improvement and intervention state. This book covers the theory and experience of successfully solving problems in a practical and general way. This book includes a general survey of modern systems analysis; offers several original results; presents the latest methodological and technological results of the theory of systems; introduces achievements; and discusses the transition from the ideology of the machine age to the ideology of the systems age. This book will be of interest to both professionals and academicians.

Design and Spirituality examines the philosophical context of our current situation and argues for a re-establishment and re-affirmation of self-transcending priorities, together with an ethos of moderation and sufficiency. It covers a wide range of topics broadly related to the main theme, including material culture and spiritual teachings; sustainability and the spiritual perspective; traditional and indigenous knowledge; technology and spirituality; notions of meaningful design; and the deeper, symbolic significance of (some) material things. The author is a leading thinker in the field and he presents his arguments in a manner that invites the reader to reflect and to think about where we are going, why we are going there and what really matters.

Differential equations play a noticeable role in engineering, physics, economics, and other disciplines. They permit us to model changing forms in both mathematical and physical problems. These equations are precisely used when a deterministic relation containing some continuously varying quantities and their rates of change in space and/or time is recognized or postulated. This book is intended to provide a straightforward introduction to the concept of partial differential equations. It provides a diversity of numerical examples framed to nurture the intellectual level of scholars. It includes enough examples to provide students with a clear concept and also offers short questions for comprehension. Construction of real-life problems is considered in the last chapter along with applications. Research scholars and students working in the fields of engineering, physics, and different branches of mathematics need to learn the concepts of partial differential equations to solve their problems. This book will serve their needs instead of having to use more complex books that contain more concepts than needed.

Knowledge management is far-reaching. It can dramatically reduce costs such as costs of office work repetition, human resource retirement, information reuse, etc. Rather than "reinventing the wheel" and having it be a costly and inefficient activity, systematic reuse of knowledge can show substantial cost benefits immediately. This book shows how to develop process-oriented methodologies, covers both interorganizational and enterprises models, discusses how knowledge management can dramatically reduce costs and increase speed of response, presents a wide range of quantitative methods applied to various knowledge engineering problems, and offers several graphical presentations of models and processes. Academicians and practitioners in the area of knowledge management and engineering, especially managers in industries will fine this book useful. The material might also be useful in knowledge management graduate studies.

This book is for beginners who are struggling to understand and optimize non-linear problems. The content will help readers gain an understanding and learn how to formulate real-world problems and will also give insight to many researchers for their future prospects. It proposes a mind map for conceptual understanding and includes sufficient solved examples for reader comprehension. The theory is explained in a lucid way. The variety of examples are framed to raise the thinking level of the reader and the formulation of real-world problems are included in the last chapter along with applications. The book is self-explanatory, well synchronized and written for undergraduate, post graduate and research scholars.

This book provides a clear understanding regarding the fundamentals of matrix and determinant from introduction to its real-life applications. The topic is considered one of the most important mathematical tools used in mathematical modelling. Matrix and Determinant: Fundamentals and Applications is a small self-explanatory and well synchronized book that provides an introduction to the basics along with well explained applications. The theories in the book are covered along with their definitions, notations, and examples. Illustrative examples are listed at the end of each covered topic along with unsolved comprehension questions, and real-life applications. This book provides a concise understanding of matrix and determinate which will be useful to students as well as researchers.