This book introduces readers to an evolutionary learning approach, specifically genetic programming (GP), for production scheduling. The book is divided into six parts. In Part I, it provides an introduction to production scheduling, existing solution methods, and the GP approach to production scheduling. Characteristics of production environments, problem formulations, an abstract GP framework for production scheduling, and evaluation criteria are also presented. Part II shows various ways that GP can be employed to solve static production scheduling problems and their connections with conventional operation research methods. In turn, Part III shows how to design GP algorithms for dynamic production scheduling problems and describes advanced techniques for enhancing GP's performance, including feature selection, surrogate modeling, and specialized genetic operators. In Part IV, the book addresses how to use heuristics to deal with multiple, potentially conflicting objectives in production scheduling problems, and presents an advanced multi-objective approach with cooperative coevolution techniques or multi-tree representations. Part V demonstrates how to use multitask learning techniques in the hyper-heuristics space for production scheduling. It also shows how surrogate techniques and assisted task selection strategies can benefit multitask learning with GP for learning heuristics in the context of production scheduling. Part VI rounds out the text with an outlook on the future. Given its scope, the book benefits scientists, engineers, researchers, practitioners, postgraduates, and undergraduates in the areas of machine learning, artificial intelligence, evolutionary computation, operations research, and industrial engineering.

Understanding why and how failures occur is critical to failure prevention, as even the slightest breakdown can lead to catastrophic loss of life and asset as well as widespread pollution. This book helps anyone involved with machinery reliability, whether in the design of new plants or the maintenance and operation of existing ones, to understand why process equipment fails and thereby prevent similar failures.

This book highlights cutting-edge ecodesign research, covering product and service design, smart manufacturing, and social perspectives in ecodesign. Featuring selected papers presented at EcoDesign 2019: 11th International Symposium on Environmentally Conscious Design and Inverse Manufacturing, it also includes diverse, interdisciplinary approaches to foster ecodesign research and activities. In the context of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it addresses the need for the manufacturing industry to design innovations for sustainable value creation, taking into account technological developments, legislation, and consumer lifestyles. Further, the book discusses the concept of circular economy, which originated in Europe and aims to increase resource efficiency by shifting away from the linear economy. Focusing on product life cycle design and management, smart manufacturing, circular economy, and business strategies, and providing useful approaches and solutions to these emerging concepts, this book is intended for both researchers and practitioners working in the broad field of ecodesign and sustainability.

This book is the first monograph focusing on ellipsoidal heads, which are commonly used as an end closure of pressure vessels in chemical, petroleum, nuclear, marine, aerospace and food processing industries. It provides a comprehensive coverage of stress, failure, design and fabrication of ellipsoidal heads. This book investigates in detail buckling/plastic collapse behaviors of ellipsoidal heads using nonlinear finite element methods and experiments. Buckling/plastic collapse experiments are performed on 37 ellipsoidal heads which cover various geometric parameters, material and fabrication methods. In particular, modern measurement technologies, such as 3D laser scanning, are used in the experiments of these ellipsoidal heads including large heads with a diameter up to 5 metres. Moreover, this book presents new formulas for accurate prediction of buckling/plastic collapse pressures of ellipsoidal heads. Using elastic-plastic theory, this book proposes a new failure mechanism-based method for design of ellipsoidal heads. Compared to other methods in current codes and standards based on elastic or perfectly plastic theory, the new design method can fully develop the head's load-carrying capacity, which reduces head thickness and thus cost. Also, this book studies control on fabrication quality of ellipsoidal heads, including shape deviation, forming strain and forming temperature. It is useful as a technical reference for researchers and engineers in the fields of engineering mechanics, engineering design, manufacturing engineering and industrial engineering.

This book presents machine learning as a set of pre-requisites, co-requisites, and post-requisites, focusing on mathematical concepts and engineering applications in advanced welding and cutting processes. It describes a number of advanced welding and cutting processes and then assesses the parametrical interdependencies of two entities, namely the data analysis and data visualization techniques, which form the core of machine learning. Subsequently, it discusses supervised learning, highlighting Python libraries such as NumPy, Pandas and Scikit Learn programming. It also includes case studies that employ machine learning for manufacturing processes in the engineering domain. The book not only provides beginners with an introduction to machine learning for applied sciences, enabling them to address global competitiveness and work on real-time technical challenges, it is also a valuable resource for scholars with domain knowledge.

This book introduces the engineering application of the discrete element method (DEM), especially the simulation analysis of the typical equipment (scraper conveyor, coal silos, subsoiler) in the coal and agricultural machinery. In this book, the DEM is applied to build rigid and loose coupling model, and the kinematic effect of the bulk materials, the mechanical effect of the interaction between the bulk materials, and the mechanical equipment in the operation process of the relevant equipment are studied. On this basis, the optimization design strategy of the relevant structure is proposed. This book effectively promotes the application of DEM in engineering, analyzes the operation state, failure mechanism, and operation effect of related equipment in operation, and provides theoretical basis for the optimal design of equipment. The book is intended for undergraduate and graduate students who are interested in mechanical engineering, researchers investigating coal and agricultural machinery, and engineers working on designing related equipments.

The theory, practice, and example projects of international project management

A Singaporean corporation builds a manufacturing facility in Cambodia, with a Chinese partner, a Cambodian government agency, and value chain organizations in Germany, Morocco, Vietnam, and Brazil.

A Russian charity operates in the Balkans and the Persian Gulf. Pharmaceuticals and food come from ten different countries, physicians are from the EU and Russia, and donations are from Central Asia and the subcontinent.

A transnational organization markets through divisions in eighty-two countries. The products are designed in Italy, Sweden, and France, with customization done in each respective country.

International projects involve a complex network of cultures, politics, laws, languages, and resources that goes beyond the traditional training and experience of most project managers. International Project Management examines the different dimensions and responsibilities of international projects, and outlines what a project manager must know to lead global projects successfully. It also provides guidelines and examples for the international project management processes.

This book explores the professional best practices of international projects, emphasizing the importance of leadership skills and virtual teamwork to successfully navigate an international project. Along with discussions on the process groups, such as initiating, planning, execution, monitoring and controlling, and closing out, this reference is organized according to these knowledge areas:

Introduction to international project management

Integration management

HR management (Diversity & Communications)

Scope management

Cost and progress management

Risk management

Time management

Customer satisfaction (Quality)

Procurement management

CPE in the future

Integrating the PMBOK Guide--Fourth Edition, and the ICB, International Project Management provides international project managers, whether experienced or beginners, with the high cross-cultural intelligence, creative communication skills, ability to establish and maintain dependable project management processes, and compelling curiosity to manage international projects successfully.

This book describes the development of portable, wearable, and highly customizable hand exoskeletons to aid patients suffering from hand disabilities. It presents an original approach for the design of human hand motion assistance devices that relies on (i) an optimization-based kinematic scaling procedure, which guarantees a significant adaptability to the user's hands motion, and (ii) a topology optimization-based design methodology, which allowed the design of a lightweight, comfortable device with a high level of performance. The book covers the whole process of hand exoskeleton development, from establishing a new design strategy, to the construction and testing of hand exoskeleton prototypes, using additive manufacturing techniques. As such, it offers timely information to both researchers and engineers developing human motion assistance systems, especially wearable ones.

This book proposes new control and protection schemes to improve the overall stability and security of future wide-area power systems. It focuses on the high penetration levels of renewable energy sources and distributed generation, particularly with the trend towards smart grids. The control methods discussed can improve the overall stability in normal and abnormal operation conditions, while the protection methods presented can be used to ensure the secure operation of systems under most severe contingencies. Presenting stability, security, and protection methods for power systems in one concise volume, this book takes the reader on a journey from concepts and fundamentals to the latest and future trends in each topic covered, making it an informative and intriguing read for researchers, graduate students, and practitioners alike.

This book contains a selection of research articles written by prominent researchers participating in The 27th World Congress on Engineering (WCE 2019) which was held in London, UK, July 3-5, 2019. Topics covered include engineering mathematics, electrical engineering, communications systems, computer science, chemical engineering, systems engineering, manufacturing engineering, and industrial applications. With contributions carefully chosen to represent the most cutting-edge research presented during the conference, the book contains some of the state of the art in engineering technologies and the physical sciences and their applications and serves as a useful reference for researchers and graduate students working in these fields.

This book focuses on how to keep blast furnaces running stably and smoothly with low consumption and long operating life spans. Assessing and adjusting blast furnace performance are key to operation. The book describes in detail cases of both successful and failed blast furnace operation. It also demonstrates various phenomena and "symptoms" in the smelting process that have rarely been studied before, e.g. abnormal gas distribution, bending loss of tuyere, slag crust fall-off, blast furnace thickening, and hearth accumulation. As such, it will help readers understand internal phenomena in blast furnaces, providing a basis for developing intelligent control and management systems.

This volume of the series ARENA2036 compiles the outcomes of the first Stuttgart Conference on Automotive Production (SCAP2020). It contains peer-reviewed contributions from a theoretical as well as practical vantage point and is topically structured according to the following four sections: It discusses (I) Novel Approaches for Efficient Production and Assembly Planning, (II) Smart Production Systems and Data Services, (III) Advances in Manufacturing Processes and Materials, and (IV) New Concepts for Autonomous, Collaborative Intralogistics. Given the restrictive circumstances of 2020, the conference was held as a fully digital event divided into two parts. It opened with a pre-week, allowing everyone to peruse the scientific contributions at their own pace, followed by a two-day live event that enabled experts from the sciences and the industry to engage in various discussions. The conference has proven itself as an insightful forum that allowed for an expertly exchange regarding the pivotal Advances in Automotive Production and Technology.

This book provides a comprehensive and effective exchange of information on current developments in the management of manufacturing systems and Industry 4.0. The book aims to establish channels of communication and disseminate knowledge among professionals working in manufacturing and related institutions. In the book, researchers, academicians and practitioners in relevant fields share their knowledge from the sectors of management of manufacturing systems. The chapters were selected from several conferences in the field, with the topics including management of manufacturing systems with support for Industry 4.0, logistics and intelligent manufacturing systems and applications, cooperation management, and its effective applications. The book also includes case studies in logistics, RFID applications, and economic impacts in logistics, ICT support for industry 4.0, industrial and smart logistics, intelligent manufacturing systems and applications

This book provides insight into research and development of key aerospace materials that have enabled some of the most exciting air and space technologies in recent years. The stories are shared with you by the women who experienced them, those engineers and scientists in the labs, on the shop floors, or on the design teams contributing to the realization of these technologies. Their work contributes to the world in the challenging and vital field of aerospace materials, and their stories seethe with a pride and a passion for the opportunity to make these important contributions. As an important part of the Women in Science and Engineering book series, the work highlights the contribution of women leaders in Aerospace Materials, inspiring women and men, girls and boys to enter and apply themselves to secure our future in an increasingly connected world.

This edited book presents scientific results of the International Semi-Virtual Workshop on Data Science and Digital Transformation in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (DSDT 2020) which was held on October 15, 2020, at Soongsil University, Seoul, Korea. The aim of this workshop was to bring together researchers and scientists, businessmen and entrepreneurs, teachers, engineers, computer users, and students to discuss the numerous fields of computer science and to share their experiences and exchange new ideas and information in a meaningful way. Research results about all aspects (theory, applications and tools) of computer and information science, and to discuss the practical challenges encountered along the way and the solutions adopted to solve them. The workshop organizers selected the best papers from those papers accepted for presentation at the workshop. The papers were chosen based on review scores submitted by members of the program committee and underwent further rigorous rounds of review. From this second round of review, 17 of the conference's most promising papers are then published in this Springer (SCI) book and not the conference proceedings. We impatiently await the important contributions that we know these authors will bring to the field of computer and information science.

Today s control system designers face an ever-increasing need for speed and accuracy in their system measurements and computations. New design approaches using microcontrollers and DSP are emerging, and designers must understand these new approaches, the tools available, and how best to apply them.
This practical text covers the latest techniques in microcontroller-based control system design, making use of the popular MSP430 microcontroller from Texas Instruments.
The book covers all the circuits of the system, including:
.Sensors and their output signals
.Design and application of signal conditioning circuits
.A-to-D and D-to-A circuit design
.Operation and application of the powerful and popular TI MSP430 microcontroller
.Data transmission circuits
.System power control circuitry
Written by an experienced microcontroller engineer and textbook author, the book is lavishly illustrated and includes numerous specific circuit design examples, including a fully tested and documented hands-on project using the MSP430 that makes use of the principles described. For students, engineers, technicians, and hobbyists, this practical text provides the answers you need to design modern control systems quickly and easily.
* Seasoned Texas Instruments designer provides a ground-up perspective on embedded control systems
* Pedagogical style provides a self-learning approach with examples, quizzes and review features
* Accompanying companion website contains source code and more "

This book presents new approaches to logistics solutions in global environments, with a special focus on collaborative logistics and intermodality. Contributions in this book are linked to two major initiatives in global logistics - H2020 MSCA-RISE-EU project EC-Asia Research Network on Integration of Global and Local Agri-Food Supply Chains Towards Sustainable Food Security (GOLF), and the International Conference on Logistics & Supply Chain (CiLOG). Topics covered in this book are: global logistics environments in manufacturing industries, key logistic decision-making parameters, global logistics management and its impact on container logistics processes, logistic market clusters and many more.

The rapid development of China's transportation system brings huge challenges to fire safety issues. Fire Protection Engineering Applications for Large Transportation Systems in Chinaanalyzes key fire issues for large transportation systems in rail, airport, tunnels, etc. and offers solutions and best practices for similar projects throughout the world. The first monograph to look at transportation hub fire issues in China looks at architecture features, occupancy and area classification, fire hazard and design difficulties based on local code design. The book then provides case studies to identity the common problems and introduces possible solutions in order to develop a best practice for future design and improvement. The authors worked directly on the case studies provided, which include the Hongqiao airport transportation hub, Beijing and Pudoing airport PBD study, subways in different cities and the high speed train system Cross China. They use their research and investigation to form the theoretical basis for the fire design of urban large transportation hubs and the establishment of corresponding fire codes. The cutting-edge technologies discussed include: Smoke control strategy in complicated multiple function space, assistant evacuation performance based study new technology on fire separation new fire products for smoke detection and intelligent guiding system for evacuation BIM and internet of things used to improve fire management

This book covers the recent developments in the production of micro and nano size products, which cater to the needs of the industry. The processes to produce the miniature sized products with unique characteristics are addressed. Moreover, their application in areas such as micro-engines, micro-heat exchangers, micro-pumps, micro-channels, printing heads and medical implants are also highlighted. The book presents such microsystem-based products as important contributors to a sustainable economy. The recent research in this book focuses on the development of new micro and nano manufacturing platforms while integrating the different technologies to manufacture the micro and nano components in a high throughput and cost effective manner. The chapters contain original theoretical and applied research in the areas of micro- and nano-manufacturing that are related to process innovation, accuracy, and precision, throughput enhancement, material utilization, compact equipment development, environmental and life-cycle analysis, and predictive modeling of manufacturing processes with feature sizes less than one hundred micrometers.

This collection presents fundamentals and the current status of friction stir welding (FSW) and solid-state friction stir processing of materials, and provides researchers and engineers with an opportunity to review the current status of the friction stir related processes and discuss the future possibilities. Contributions cover various aspects of friction stir welding and processing including their derivative technologies. Topics include but are not limited to: * derivative technologies * high-temperature lightweight applications * industrial applications * dissimilar alloys and/or materials * controls and nondestructive examination * simulation * characterization

This book explores the principles of supply-side structural reform and current practices in the Chinese steel industry. Focusing on the general requirements for high-quality development, it reviews the evolution of the global and Chinese steel industries with regard to reduction, innovation, and transformation. It also summarizes industrial development law from a transfer route perspective, analyzes major challenges and opportunities for the steel industry in the new era, and proposes strategic orientation and implementation measures for the future development of the steel industry. The book contends that high-quality development of the steel industry must be driven by innovation, and it is essential to promote integrated development based on several aspects - greenness, coordination, quality, standardization, differentiation, service, intelligence, diversification, and internationalization - in order to reshape the industrial value chain and continuously improve industrial competitiveness. This concept is essential to help Chinese steel companies prepare development plans for transformation and upgrading. Combining thorough analysis, unique insights, and many practical cases, the book offers a guide to and inspiration for future implementation approaches.

This book summarizes all different fields of cotton fiber, including genetics, fiber chemistry, soft materials, textile, and fashion engineering. It also contains some new applications such as biomaterials, nanocoated smart fabrics, and functional textiles. Moreover, the significant improvement recently in gene modification and gene technology is introduced. This book discusses all these aspects in a more straightforward way, and new illustrations will help readers to understand the contents. It is intended for undergraduate and graduate students who are interested in cotton science and processing technologies, researchers investigating the updated applications of cotton in various fields as well as industrialists who want to have a quick review of the cotton and its different stages.