We think we have scientific knowledge when we know the cause. (Aristotle, Posterior Analytics Book II, Part 11) About 12 years ago, when I was a graduate student, many people were concerned about my Ph. D. topic - investigating the effect of the complexity of procedu- lized tasks on the performance of human operators working in nuclear power plants. Although they agreed with the fact that procedures (especially emergency operating procedures) play a crucial role in securing the safety of nuclear power plants, it was amazing that most of them pointed out a very similar issue: "I cannot understand why operating personnel see any difficulty (or complexity) in condu- ing procedures, because all that they have to do is to follow a simple IF-THEN- ELSE rule as written. " Actually, this issue is closely related to one of the main questions I was recently asked, such as "Don't you think your work is too acad- ic to apply to actual procedures?" or "I guess we don't need to consider the c- plexity of procedures, because we can develop a good procedure using many pr- tical procedure writers' guidelines. Then what is the real contribution of your work?" I absolutely agree with the latter comment. Yes, we can develop a good pro- dure with the support of many practical and excellent guidelines.

This book proposes the formulation of an efficient methodology that estimates energy system uncertainty and predicts Remaining Useful Life (RUL) accurately with significantly reduced RUL prediction uncertainty. Renewable and non-renewable sources of energy are being used to supply the demands of societies worldwide. These sources are mainly thermo-chemo-electro-mechanical systems that are subject to uncertainty in future loading conditions, material properties, process noise, and other design parameters.It book informs the reader of existing and new ideas that will be implemented in RUL prediction of energy systems in the future. The book provides case studies, illustrations, graphs, and charts. Its chapters consider engineering, reliability, prognostics and health management, probabilistic multibody dynamical analysis, peridynamic and finite-element modelling, computer science, and mathematics.

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.

This handbook serves as a complement to the Handbook on Data Envelopment Analysis (eds, W.W. Cooper, L.M. Seiford and J, Zhu, 2011, Springer) in an effort to extend the frontier of DEA research. It provides a comprehensive source for the state-of-the art DEA modeling on internal structures and network DEA. Chapter 1 provides a survey on two-stage network performance decomposition and modeling techniques. Chapter 2 discusses the pitfalls in network DEA modeling. Chapter 3 discusses efficiency decompositions in network DEA under three types of structures, namely series, parallel and dynamic. Chapter 4 studies the determination of the network DEA frontier. In chapter 5 additive efficiency decomposition in network DEA is discussed. An approach in scale efficiency measurement in two-stage networks is presented in chapter 6. Chapter 7 further discusses the scale efficiency decomposition in two stage networks. Chapter 8 offers a bargaining game approach to modeling two-stage networks. Chapter 9 studies shared resources and efficiency decomposition in two-stage networks. Chapter 10 introduces an approach to computing the technical efficiency scores for a dynamic production network and its sub-processes. Chapter 11 presents a slacks-based network DEA. Chapter 12 discusses a DEA modeling technique for a two-stage network process where the inputs of the second stage include both the outputs from the first stage and additional inputs to the second stage. Chapter 13 presents an efficiency measurement methodology for multi-stage production systems. Chapter 14 discusses network DEA models, both static and dynamic. The discussion also explores various useful objective functions that can be applied to the models to find the optimal allocation of resources for processes within the black box, that are normally invisible to DEA. Chapter 15 provides a comprehensive review of various type network DEA modeling techniques. Chapter 16 presents shared resources models for deriving aggregate measures of bank-branch performance, with accompanying component measures that make up that aggregate value. Chapter 17 examines a set of manufacturing plants operating under a single umbrella, with the objective being to use the component or function measures to decide what might be considered as each plant's core business. Chapter 18 considers problem settings where there may be clusters or groups of DMUs that form a hierarchy. The specific case of a set off electric power plants is examined in this context. Chapter 19 models bad outputs in two-stage network DEA. Chapter 20 presents an application of network DEA to performance measurement of Major League Baseball (MLB) teams. Chapter 21 presents an application of a two-stage network DEA model for examining the performance of 30 U.S. airline companies. Chapter 22 then presents two distinct network efficiency models that are applied to engineering systems.

This book consists of peer-reviewed papers, presented at the International Conference on Sustainable Design and Manufacturing (SDM 2020). Leading-edge research into sustainable design and manufacturing aims to enable the manufacturing industry to grow by adopting more advanced technologies and at the same time improve its sustainability by reducing its environmental impact. Relevant themes and topics include sustainable design, innovation and services; sustainable manufacturing processes and technology; sustainable manufacturing systems and enterprises; and decision support for sustainability. Application areas are wide and varied. The book provides an excellent overview of the latest developments in the sustainable design and manufacturing areas.

Providing a step-by-step guide for the implementation of virtual manufacturing using Creo Parametric software (formerly known as Pro-Engineer), this book creates an engaging and interactive learning experience for manufacturing engineering students. Featuring graphic illustrations of simulation processes and operations, and written in accessible English to promote user-friendliness, the book covers key topics in the field including: the engraving machining process, face milling, profile milling, surface milling, volume rough milling, expert machining, electric discharge machining (EDM), and area turning using the lathe machining process. Maximising reader insights into how to simulate material removal processes, and how to generate cutter location data and G-codes data, this valuable resource equips undergraduate, postgraduate, BTech and HND students in the fields of manufacturing engineering, computer aided design (CAD) and computer aided engineering (CAE) with transferable skills and knowledge. This book is also intended for technicians, technologists and engineers new to Creo Parametric software.

This book presents an internationally comprehensive perspective into the field of complex systems. It explores the challenges of and approaches to complexity from a broad range of disciplines, including big data, health care, medicine, mathematics, mechanical and systems engineering, air traffic control and finance. The book's interdisciplinary character allows readers to identify transferable and mutually exclusive lessons learned among these disciplines and beyond. As such, it is well suited to the transfer of applications and methodologies between ostensibly incompatible disciplines. This book provides fresh perspectives on comparable issues of complexity from the top minds on systems thinking.

This book describes the basic concepts of risk and reliability with detailed descriptions of the different levels of probabilistic safety assessment of nuclear power plants (both internal and external). The book also maximizes readers insights into time dependent risk analysis through several case studies, whilst risk management with respect to non renewable energy sources is also explained. With several advanced reactors utilizing the concept of passive systems, the reliability estimation of these systems are explained in detail with the book providing a reliability estimation of components through mechanistic model approach. This book is useful for advanced undergraduate and post graduate students in nuclear engineering, aerospace engineering, industrial engineering, reliability and safety engineering, systems engineering and applied probability and statistics. This book is also suitable for one-semester graduate courses on risk management of non renewable energy systems in all conventional engineering branches like civil, mechanical, chemical, electrical and electronics as well as computer science. It will also be a valuable reference for practicing engineers, managers and researchers involved in reliability and safety activities of complex engineering systems.

This book presents a complete and updated overview of Flame Spray process, from its History to the Apparatus necessary for the synthesis of nanostructures. It addresses not only the materials produced by this technique, but also their properties, such as crystallinity and crystallite size, specific surface area, particle size and morphology. Also, the principles of nanoparticle formation are described. It is a useful read to all those interested in low cost synthesis of nanostructured powders and coatings.

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

Quality is not a fixed or universal property of software; it depends on the context and goals of its stakeholders. Hence, when you want to develop a high-quality software system, the first step must be a clear and precise specification of quality. Yet even if you get it right and complete, you can be sure that it will become invalid over time. So the only solution is continuous quality control: the steady and explicit evaluation of a product's properties with respect to its updated quality goals. This book guides you in setting up and running continuous quality control in your environment. Starting with a general introduction on the notion of quality, it elaborates what the differences between process and product quality are and provides definitions for quality-related terms often used without the required level of precision. On this basis, the work then discusses quality models as the foundation of quality control, explaining how to plan desired product qualities and how to ensure they are delivered throughout the entire lifecycle. Next it presents the main concepts and techniques of continuous quality control, discussing the quality control loop and its main techniques such as reviews or testing. In addition to sample scenarios in all chapters, the book is rounded out by a dedicated chapter highlighting several applications of different subsets of the presented quality control techniques in an industrial setting. The book is primarily intended for practitioners working in software engineering or quality assurance, who will benefit by learning how to improve their current processes, how to plan for quality, and how to apply state-of-the-art quality control techniques. Students and lecturers in computer science and specializing in software engineering will also profit from this book, which they can use in practice-oriented courses on software quality, software maintenance and quality assurance.

Multifunctional Metallic Hollow Sphere Structures are an emerging new material category, belonging like metal foams to the class cellular metals. Thanks to their advantageous mechanical and sound absorbing properties, Multifunctional Metallic Hollow Sphere Structures are very promising for various applications and our technological knowledge makes them ready for industrial usage. This reference gives a complete overview on this new materials class, the fundamentals, the applications and the perspective for future use. It provides the foundations for a profound understanding (production and processing), their physical properties (surface properties and stalility) and applicaltion (in particular for sound absorption and chemical adsorption in structural parts). The book is written for material scientists, product designers and developers as well as academic researches and scientists.

This is the first English edition of an established work on cost-driven product design and development. It offers tried and tested methods for understanding, influencing and reducing product costs. The methodology and organization of cost management, as well as the effects on each type of cost are described. Using this knowledge the product developer can assume responsibility for costs. There are numerous examples and detailed derivation of results.

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

This book provides a detailed understanding of optimization methods as they are implemented in a variety of manufacturing, fabrication and machining processes. It covers the implementation of statistical methods, multi-criteria decision making methods and evolutionary techniques for single and multi-objective optimization to improve quality, productivity, and sustainability in manufacturing. It reports on the theoretical aspects, special features, recent research and latest development in the field. Optimization of Manufacturing Processes is a valuable source of information for researchers and practitioners, as it fills the gap where no dedicated book is available on intelligent manufacturing/modeling and optimization in manufacturing. Readers will develop an understanding of the implementation of statistical and evolutionary techniques for modeling and optimization in manufacturing.

This book covers the elements involved in achieving sustainability in textiles and clothing sector. The chapters covered in three volumes of this series title cover all the distinctive areas earmarked for achieving sustainable development in textiles and clothing industry. This third volume highlights the areas pertaining to the regulatory aspects and sustainability standards applicable to textiles and clothing supply chain. There are various standards earmarked for measuring the environmental impacts and sustainability of textile products. There are also plenty of certification schemes available along with the index systems applicable to textile sector. Brands and manufactures are also venturing into new developments to achieve sustainable development in textile sector. This third volume addresses all these important aspects.

This monograph and translation from the Russian describes in detail and comments on the fundamentals of metrology. The basic concepts of metrology, the principles of the International System of Units SI, the theory of measurement uncertainty, the new methodology of estimation of measurement accuracy on the basis of the uncertainty concept, as well as the methods for processing measurement results and estimating their uncertainty are discussed from the modern position. It is shown that the uncertainty concept is compatible with the classical theory of accuracy. The theory of random uncertainties is supplemented with their most general description on the basis of generalized normal distribution; the instrumental systematic errors are presented in connection with the methodology of normalization of the metrological characteristics of measuring instruments.

The information about modern systems of traceability is given. All discussed theoretical principles and calculation methods are illustrated with examples.

A formal method is not the main engine of a development process, its contribution is to improve system dependability by motivating formalisation where useful. This book summarizes the results of the DEPLOY research project on engineering methods for dependable systems through the industrial deployment of formal methods in software development. The applications considered were in automotive, aerospace, railway, and enterprise information systems, and microprocessor design. The project introduced a formal method, Event-B, into several industrial organisations and built on the lessons learned to provide an ecosystem of better tools, documentation and support to help others to select and introduce rigorous systems engineering methods. The contributing authors report on these projects and the lessons learned. For the academic and research partners and the tool vendors, the project identified improvements required in the methods and supporting tools, while the industrial partners learned about the value of formal methods in general. A particular feature of the book is the frank assessment of the managerial and organisational challenges, the weaknesses in some current methods and supporting tools, and the ways in which they can be successfully overcome. The book will be of value to academic researchers, systems and software engineers developing critical systems, industrial managers, policymakers, and regulators.

This book presents selected contributions on a wide range of scientific and technological areas covered by AITeM (the Italian Association of Manufacturing). It discusses the following topics: additive manufacturing, advanced and unconventional machining and processes, material removal processes, foundry and forming, tools and machine tools, assembly/disassembly, joining materials and material properties, quality metrology and material testing, manufacturing systems engineering, sustainable manufacturing, smart manufacturing and cyber-physical systems, education in manufacturing and human factors, industrial applications. Written by young AITeM associates, the contributions reflect the multifaceted nature of the research in manufacturing, which takes advantage of emergent technologies and establishes interdisciplinary connections with various scientific and technological areas to move beyond simple product fabrication and develop a complex and highly interconnected value creation processes ecosystem pursuing high-value-added products to compete globally.

In building reliability into a system, engineers must address a number of practical needs that will enable them to quantify and compare reliability in engineered systems. (1) One is to be able to compare the reliability of one system to another system. (2) Another practical need is to compare alternate system designs for the purpose of engineering a particular optimal system. The practical, standardized, technical tool for characterizing reliability in systems is system signatures which was created in 1985 and since has developed into a powerful tool for qualifying reliability. It is used in all physical structures and stochastic systems where reliability is an important consideration (e.g., automobiles, bridges, electronic networks, airplanes, etc.)

Since the introduction of system signatures in Francisco Samaniegoa (TM)s 1985 paper, the properties of this technical concept have been examined, tested and proven in a wide variety of systems applications. Based on the practical and research success in building reliability into systems with system signatures, this is the first book treatment of the approach. It is, therefore, the purpose of this book to provide guidance on how reliability problems might be structured, modeled and solved. Over the past ten years the broad applicability of system signatures has become apparent and the toola (TM)s utility in coherent systems and communications networks firmly established. The book compared actual system lifetimes where the tool has been and has not been used. These comparisonsa "which have been done over the yearsa "demonstrate the practical, feasible and fruitful use of the tool in building reliable systems. Finally, new resultsand future directions for system signatures are also explored.

This volume presents measurement uncertainty and uncertainty budgets in a form accessible to practicing engineers and engineering students from across a wide range of disciplines. The book gives a detailed explanation of the methods presented by NIST in the "GUM" - Guide to Uncertainty of Measurement. Emphasis is placed on explaining the background and meaning of the topics, while keeping the level of mathematics at the minimum level necessary. Dr. Colin Ratcliffe, USNA, and Bridget Ratcliffe, Johns Hopkins, develop uncertainty budgets and explain their use. In some examples, the budget may show a process is already adequate and where costs can be saved. In other examples, the budget may show the process is inadequate and needs improvement. The book demonstrates how uncertainty budgets help identify the most cost effective place to make changes. In addition, an extensive fully-worked case study leads readers through all issues related to an uncertainty analysis, including a variety of different types of uncertainty budgets. The book is ideal for professional engineers and students concerned with a broad range of measurement assurance challenges in applied sciences. This book also: Facilitates practicing engineers' understanding of uncertainty budgets, essential to calculating cost-effective savings to a wide variety of processes contingent on measurement Presents uncertainty budgets in an accessible style suitable for all undergraduate STEM courses that include a laboratory component Provides a highly adaptable supplement to graduate textbooks for courses where students' work includes reporting on experimental results Includes an expanded case study developing uncertainty from transducers though measurands and propagated to the final measurement that can be used as a template for the analysis of many processes Stands as a useful pocket reference for all engineers and experimental scientists

This book presents a domain of extreme industrial and scientific interest: the study of smart systems and structures. It presents polytope projects as comprehensive physical and cognitive architectures that support the investigation, fabrication and implementation of smart systems and structures. These systems feature multifunctional components that can perform sensing, control, and actuation. In light of the fact that devices, tools, methodologies and organizations based on electronics and information technology for automation, specific to the third industrial revolution, are increasingly reaching their limits, it is essential that smart systems be implemented in industry. Polytope projects facilitate the utilization of smart systems and structures as key elements of the fourth industrial revolution. The book begins by presenting polytope projects as a reference architecture for cyber-physical systems and smart systems, before addressing industrial process synthesis in Chapter 2. Flow-sheet trees, cyclic separations and smart configurations for multi-component separations are discussed here. In turn, Chapter 3 highlights periodic features for drug delivery systems and networks of chemical reactions, while Chapter 4 applies conditioned random walks to polymers and smart materials structures. Chapter 5 examines self-assembly and self-reconfiguration at different scales from molecular to micro systems. Smart devices and technologies are the focus of chapter 6. Modular micro reactor systems and timed automata are examined in selected case studies. Chapter 7 focuses on inferential engineering designs, concept-knowledge, relational concept analysis and model driven architecture, while Chapter 8 puts the spotlight on smart manufacturing, industry 4.0, reference architectures and models for new product development and testing. Lastly, Chapter 9 highlights the polytope projects methodology and the prospects for smart systems and structures. Focusing on process engineering and mathematical modeling for the fourth industrial revolution, the book offers a unique resource for engineers, scientists and entrepreneurs working in chemical, biochemical, pharmaceutical, materials science or systems chemistry, students in various domains of production and engineering, and applied mathematicians.

The integrated and advanced science research topic Man-Machine-Environment system engineering (MMESE) was first established in China by Professor Shengzhao Long in 1981, with direct support from one of the greatest modern Chinese scientists, Xuesen Qian. In a letter to Shengzhao Long from October 22nd, 1993, Xuesen Qian wrote: You have created a very important modern science and technology in China
MMESE primarily focuses on the relationship between man, machines and the environment, studying the optimum combination of man-machine-environment systems. In this system, man refers to people in the workplace (e.g. operators, decision-makers); machine is the general name for any object controlled by man (including tools, machinery, computers, systems and technologies), and environment describes the specific working conditions under which man and machine interact (e.g. temperature, noise, vibration, hazardous gases etc.). The three goals of optimization of Man-Machine-Environment systems are to ensure safety, efficiency and economy.
"Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Man-Machine-Environment System Engineering" are an academic showcase of the best papers selected from more than 400 submissions, introducing readers to the top research topics and the latest developmental trends in the theory and application of MMESE.
These proceedings are interdisciplinary studies on the concepts and methods of physiology, psychology, system engineering, computer science, environment science, management, education, and other related disciplines. Researchers and professionals working in these interdisciplinary fields and researchers on MMESE related topics will benefit from these proceedings."

The blurring of boundaries between hitherto distinct scientific disciplines, technologies or markets is a common and powerful phenomenon. Subjects of this convergence often change consumer behaviours, favouring products and platforms with multiple functions. The Anticipation of Converging Industries provides a detailed focus on the triggers, drivers and consequences of convergence to create a more concise definition of convergence. This detailed analysis includes a specifically developed toolbox for 'convergence foresight', creating a forecasting method for convergence trends. With the focus on the chemical, biotechnological and pharmaceutical industries, several indicators of convergence in the areas of Nutraceuticals/Functional Foods, Cosmeceuticals and ICT are derived from samples including over 1million patents and scientific publications. By supporting this methodical approach with real world data, The Anticipation of Converging Industries is perfect for industry practitioners looking for a competitive edge in the present and for the future. Similarly, academics will find a comprehensive theoretical concept for better understanding the underlying rationale of convergence at their disposal