The application of intelligent imaging techniques to industrial vision problems is an evolving aspect of current machine vision research. Machine vision is a relatively new technology, more concerned with systems engineering than with computer science, and with much to offer the manufacturing industry in terms of improving efficiency, safety and product quality. Beginning with an introductory chapter on the basic concepts, the authors develop these ideas to describe intelligent imaging techniques for use in a new generation of industrial imaging systems. Sections cover the application of AI languages such as Prolog, the use of multi-media interfaces and multi-processor systems, external device control, and colour recognition. The text concludes with a discussion of several case studies that illustrate how intelligent machine vision techniques can be used in industrial applications.

Computer software reliability has never been more important. Today, computers are employed in areas as diverse as air traffic control, nuclear reactors, aircraft, real-time military, industrial process control, security system control, biometric scan-systems, automotive, mechanical and safety control, and hospital patient monitoring systems. Many of these applications require critical functionality as software applications increase in size and complexity.

System Software Reliability is an introduction to software reliability engineering as well as a detailed survey of the state-of-the-art techniques, methodologies and tools used to assess the reliability of software and combined software-hardware systems. The most recent research results in the field are reported and future directions in the subject are signposted.

This comprehensive text will be of interest to:

• graduate students as an introduction to software reliability engineering and a textbook for graduate courses;
• software and reliability engineers as a comprehensive and up-to-date survey of the field; and,
• researchers and lecturers in universities and research institutions as a one-volume reference.

Rapid One-of-a-kind Product Development discusses research in the development of new enabling technologies for small and medium companies. Scientific advancements presented include a novel product data modelling scheme to model product design, manufacturability and knowledge under a common data object; customised product development in a distributed environment; and new adaptive scheduling methods for the optimal production of a wide variety of customised products, taking into consideration all of the possible changes from customers and the uncertainties in manufacturing. The book also includes research towards a computer aided customer interface, which allows customer requirements and changes to be processed and integrated with technical designs in real time; adaptive and concurrent CAD methods and algorithms; and product modelling and system integration technologies. The reader will learn how to: * translate customer requirements to technical attributes; * develop new and innovative products to meet customer requirements and expectations; * evaluate and optimise a project design; * design production systems and use them efficiently; and * manage a variety of customised products. Rapid One-of-a-kind Product Development demonstrates how to develop new methods, tools and algorithms to address the problems in a mass customisation environment. It is a valuable source of information for researchers and engineers in the fields of design and manufacturing.

This book presents a unique collection of contributions from some of the foremost scholars in the field of risk and reliability analysis. Combining the most advanced analysis techniques with practical applications, it is one of the most comprehensive and up-to-date books available on risk-based engineering. All the fundamental concepts needed to conduct risk and reliability assessments are covered in detail, providing readers with a sound understanding of the field and making the book a powerful tool for students and researchers alike. This book was prepared in honor of Professor Armen Der Kiureghian, one of the fathers of modern risk and reliability analysis.

This book is a report to the Executive Board of the Rijnmond Public Authority. The report presents the results of a pilot study of the risks to the employees in, and the population around six industrial installations. The installations were selected to illustrate various materials and technologies present in this area e.g. toxic, flammable, cryogenic and pressure storage. The study was performed in close cooperation between authorities, industry and consultants. The report consists of 5 parts: Part I is the report of the Steering Committee, which managed the whole project. It contains the background, the aims of the study, conclusions, general comments and recommendations. Appendices I and 2 give information about the parties involved in the study and the screening process applied to the collected safety data respectively. Part 2, the main report by Cremer and Warner Ltd., presents the way the risk analysis of the six industrial installations was performed. All the steps necessary to carry out such an analysis are presented and discussed. The final results are given in tables showing the average number of fatalities per year both for employees and the population. Appendices I to VII contain the calculation models used (dischar ge rates, dispersion, combustion, etc.). Appendices VII to X give a historical review of incidents, fai lure rate data and meteorological data respectively. Appendix XII gives the final results of the consequence analyses and appendix XIII presents the fault trees and derivation of failure rates."

Technology Innovation discusses the fundamental aspects of processes and structures of technology innovation. It offers a new perspective concerning fundamentals aspects not directly involved in the complex relations existing between technology and the socio-economic system. By considering technology and its innovation from a scientific point of view, the book presents a novel definition of technology as a set of physical, chemical, and biological phenomena, producing an effect exploitable for human purposes. Expanding on the general model of technology innovation by linking the model of technology, based on a structure of technological operations, with the models of the structures for technology innovation, based on organization of fluxes of knowledge and capitals, the book considers various technological processes and the stages of the innovation process. Offers a perspective on the evolution of technology in the frame of an industrial platform network Explains a novel definition of technology as a set of physical, chemical, and biological phenomena producing an effect exploitable for human purposes Discusses technology innovation as result of structures organizing fluxes of knowledge and capitals Provides a technology model simulating the functioning of technology with its optimization Presents a technology innovation model explaining the territorial technology innovation process The book is intended for academics, graduate students, technology developers who are involved in operations management and research, innovation, and technology development.

Global networks, which are the primary pillars of the modern manufacturing industry and supply chains, can only cope with the new challenges, requirements and demands when supported by new computing and Internet-based technologies. Cloud Manufacturing: Distributed Computing Technologies for Global and Sustainable Manufacturing introduces a new paradigm for scalable service-oriented sustainable and globally distributed manufacturing systems. The eleven chapters in this book provide an updated overview of the latest technological development and applications in relevant research areas. Following an introduction to the essential features of Cloud Computing, chapters cover a range of methods and applications such as the factors that actually affect adoption of the Cloud Computing technology in manufacturing companies and new geometrical simplification method to stream 3-Dimensional design and manufacturing data via the Internet. This is further supported case studies and real life data for Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) remanufacturing. This compilation of up to date research and literature can be used as a textbook or reference for mechanical, manufacturing, and computer engineering graduate students and researchers for efficient utilization, deployment and development of distributed and Cloud manufacturing systems, services and applications.

This book addresses a modern topic in reliability: multi-state and continuous-state system reliability, which has been intensively developed in recent years. It offers an up-to-date overview of the latest developments in reliability theory for multi-state systems, engineering applications to a variety of technical problems, and case studies that will be of interest to reliability engineers and industrial managers. It also covers corresponding theoretical issues, as well as case studies illustrating the applications of the corresponding theoretical advances. The book is divided into two parts: Modern Mathematical Methods for Multi-state System Reliability Analysis (Part 1), and Applications and Case Studies (Part 2), which examines real-world multi-state systems. It will greatly benefit scientists and researchers working in reliability, as well as practitioners and managers with an interest in reliability and performability analysis. It can also be used as a textbook or as a supporting text for postgraduate courses in Industrial Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Applied Mathematics, and Operations Research.

With increasingly complex manufacturing systems and processes, more intelligent and unique devices and machines are needed to support manufacturing operations. Smart Devices and Machines for Advanced Manufacturing presents a focused collection of quality chapters on the state of the art of research efforts in the area of smart devices and novel machine design, as well as their practical applications to enable advanced manufacturing. The book can be viewed as consisting of two major sections, with the first section presenting a broad-based review of several key areas of research in smart devices and machines, whereas the second section is focused on presenting an in-depth treatment of a particular device or machine, from parallel kinematic mechanism to conventional robotic attachment. Smart Devices and Machines for Advanced Manufacturing will be of interest to a broad readership, from manufacturing and industrial engineers to researchers and postgraduates in computer-integrated manufacturing and computer-aided design and manufacturing.

In this book on Fundamentals of Mass Determination, the definition and dissemination of units of mass is explained, starting with an introduction to metrology and mass determination. Establishing a mass scale requires corresponding mass standards and mass comparators. The metrological requirements for weighing instruments, weight pieces, and measuring conditions are explained and discussed based on international directives and applicable legal regulations. International directives and institutions are striving towards the worldwide uniform implementation of these requirements. Processes used to determine density and volume are described to the extent that they apply to mass determination. Calculating measurement uncertainty entails taking into consideration the effect of influence variables on mass determination. An overview of this topic is provided to make it easier to determine and specify measurement uncertainty in practice, while additional information in the form of tables, illustrations, and literature references allow the reader to study mass metrology further.

This volume reviews the latest global research results in computer applications. The book contains a selection of papers presented at the Fifth International Conference on Computer Applications in Production and Engineering, arranged by the International Federation for Information Processing and held in Beijing, China in May 1995.

This book presents select peer-reviewed papers presented at the International Conference on Numerical Optimization in Engineering and Sciences (NOIEAS) 2019. The book covers a wide variety of numerical optimization techniques across all major engineering disciplines like mechanical, manufacturing, civil, electrical, chemical, computer, and electronics engineering. The major focus is on innovative ideas, current methods and latest results involving advanced optimization techniques. The contents provide a good balance between numerical models and analytical results obtained for different engineering problems and challenges. This book will be useful for students, researchers, and professionals interested in engineering optimization techniques.

The book explains the importance of and investigates the quality management aspects in micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) sectors. It emphasizes on the need of quality management practice and explores the applicability of various quality tools in MSMEs and stages in company where quality management practices are applied. Various topics covered in this book include control charts, Pareto charts, customer relationship management, failure mode effect analysis, QMS implementation stages, competitiveness, and benefits of QM practices. This book will be useful for the researchers and industry professionals from the areas of mechanical engineering, industrial engineering, and manufacturing.

Multiobjective Scheduling by Genetic Algorithms describes methods for developing multiobjective solutions to common production scheduling equations modeling in the literature as flowshops, job shops and open shops. The methodology is metaheuristic, one inspired by how nature has evolved a multitude of coexisting species of living beings on earth. Multiobjective flowshops, job shops and open shops are each highly relevant models in manufacturing, classroom scheduling or automotive assembly, yet for want of sound methods they have remained almost untouched to date. This text shows how methods such as Elitist Nondominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm (ENGA) can find a bevy of Pareto optimal solutions for them. Also it accents the value of hybridizing Gas with both solution-generating and solution-improvement methods. It envisions fundamental research into such methods, greatly strengthening the growing reach of metaheuristic methods. This book is therefore intended for students of industrial engineering, operations research, operations management and computer science, as well as practitioners. It may also assist in the development of efficient shop management software tools for schedulers and production planners who face multiple planning and operating objectives as a matter of course.

This book showcases over 60 cutting-edge research papers from the 5th International Conference on Research into Design - the largest in India in this area - written by eminent researchers from across the world on design process, technologies, methods and tools, and their impact on innovation, for supporting design across boundaries. The special features of the book are the variety of insights into the product and system innovation process, and the host of methods and tools from all major areas of design research for the enhancement of the innovation process. The main benefit of the book for researchers in various areas of design and innovation are access to the latest quality research in this area, with the largest collection of research from India. For practitioners and educators, it is exposure to an empirically validated suite of theories, models, methods and tools that can be taught and practiced for design-led innovation.

While innovation can be defined in many ways, the author sees it as a process. It is not the sudden eureka moment in the middle of the night, nor is it a clear and linear path towards a final destination. Instead, it involves a strong sense of creativity and curiosity. An innovative mind has a natural inclination towards out-of-the-box thinking. It involves a willingness to try something new, without fear or judgment, to develop something no one else has ever articulated. While the mindset comes naturally, it requires fuel to keep it running. Innovators are voracious readers and researchers. They feed their mindset all of the fuel it needs to stay informed and relevant in their field. Many of the same things can be said for the Lean mindset. Lean management doesn't happen overnight, and it is very rarely a clear and linear path to true Lean thinking. Some might consider Lean a subset of innovative thinking, while others see it in reverse. Regardless of the relationship's directionality, one thing is certain: You cannot have one without the other. This book follows John Riley, the CEO of a medium-sized valve company just outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, who will stop at nothing to create an innovative work environment. Through the ups and downs of his journey, he learns a number of Lean and innovative skills, strategies, and mindsets to help him build the business he's always envisioned for himself. Throughout the book, you see examples of both strong and poor innovative leadership skills demonstrated by each of the main characters. The key messages are ones that help leaders build and access a mindset insistent on continuous improvement. Leadership techniques and abilities that bolster creative thought and problem-solving are the most successful throughout this book. To be truly innovative, you can never stop driving the learning process. For this to happen, leaders need to recognize when there is a need for a change or improvement. This is the beauty of the marriage between Lean and innovation: They both require continuous learning and growth. The desire to improve is only one piece of this equation, however. The other is the willingness to act. Without both of these factors, true innovation will always be out of reach.

This monograph presents design methodologies for (robust) fractional control systems. It shows the reader how to take advantage of the superior flexibility of fractional control systems compared with integer-order systems in achieving more challenging control requirements. There is a high degree of current interest in fractional systems and fractional control arising from both academia and industry and readers from both milieux are catered to in the text. Different design approaches having in common a trade-off between robustness and performance of the control system are considered explicitly. The text generalizes methodologies, techniques and theoretical results that have been successfully applied in classical (integer) control to the fractional case. The first part of Advances in Robust Fractional Control is the more industrially oriented. It focuses on the design of fractional controllers for integer processes. In particular, it considers fractional-order proportional-integral-derivative controllers, because integer-order PID regulators are, undoubtedly, the controllers most frequently adopted in industry. The second part of the book deals with a more general approach to fractional control systems, extending techniques (such as H-infinity optimal control and optimal input-output inversion based control) originally devised for classical integer-order control. Advances in Robust Fractional Control will be a useful reference for the large number of academic researchers in fractional control, for their industrial counterparts and for graduate students who want to learn more about this subject.

Industrial PID Controller Tuning presents a different view of the servo/regulator compromise that has been studied for a long time in industrial control research. Optimal tuning generally involves comparison of cost functions (e.g., a quadratic function of the error or a time-weighted absolute value of the error) but without taking advantage of available multi-objective optimization methods. The book does make use of multi-objective optimization to account for several sources of disturbance, applying them to a more realistic problem: how to select the tuning of a controller when both servo and regulator responses are important. The authors review the different deterministic multi-objective optimization methods. In order to ameliorate the consequences of the computational expense typically involved in their use-specifically the generation of multiple solutions among which the control engineer still has to choose-algorithms for two-degree-of-freedom PID control are implemented in MATLAB (R). MATLAB code and a MATLAB-compatible program are provided for download and will help readers to adapt the ideas presented in the text for use in their own systems. Further practical guidance is offered by the inclusion of several examples of common industrial processes amenable to the use of the authors' methods. Researchers interested in non-heuristic approaches to controller tuning or in decision-making after a Pareto set has been established and graduate students interested in beginning a career working with PID control and/or industrial controller tuning will find this book a valuable reference and source of ideas. Advances in Industrial Control reports and encourages the transfer of technology in control engineering. The rapid development of control technology has an impact on all areas of the control discipline. The series offers an opportunity for researchers to present an extended exposition of new work in all aspects of industrial control.

Process planning detennines how a product is to be manufactured and is therefore a key element in the manufacturing process. It plays a major part in detennining the cost of components and affects all factory activities, company competitiveness, production planning, production efficiency and product quality. It is a crucial link between design and manufacturing. In spite of the importance of process planning in the manufacturing cycle, there is no fonnal methodology which can be used, or can help to train personnel for this job. Process planning activities are predominantly labor intensive, depending on the experience and the skill and intuition of the planner, and therefore often precludes a thorough analysis and optimization of the process plan which nearly always results in higher than necessary production costs, delays, errors and non-standardization of processes. Process planning is regarded as an art and not a science. Research in the field of process planning has indicated that all experts have their own expertise and one expert's experience might be different from that of another. It is rare, therefore, for two planners to produce the same process. Each process will produce the part as specified, although different processes will result in different processing times and costs. The question is, who is an expert? By definition an expert is one 'having or manifesting the knowledge, skill and experience needed for success in a particular field or endeavor', or 'one who has acquired special skill in or knowledge and mastery of something'.

This book was developed using material from teaching courses on fluid mechanics, high-speed flows, aerodynamics, high-enthalpy flows, experimental methods, aircraft design, heat transfer, introduction to engineering, and wind engineering. It precisely presents the theoretical and application aspects of the terms associated with these courses. It explains concepts such as cyclone, typhoon, hurricane, and tornado, by highlighting the subtle difference between them. The text comprehensively introduces the subject vocabulary of fluid mechanics for use in courses in engineering and the physical sciences. This book * Presents the theoretical aspects and applications of high-speed flows, aerodynamics, high-enthalpy flows, and aircraft design. * Provides a ready reference source for readers to learn essential concepts related to flow physics, rarefied, and stratified flows. * Comprehensively covers topics such as laser Doppler anemometer, latent heat of fusion, and latent heat of vaporisation. * Includes schematic sketches and photographic images to equip the reader with a better view of the concepts. This is ideal study material for senior undergraduate and graduate students in the fields of mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, flow physics, civil engineering, automotive engineering, and manufacturing engineering.

The Advanced Planner and Optimiser (APO) is the software from SAP dedicated to supply chain management. This book addresses the question of how to implement APO in a company. It is written from a long years' experience in implementation projects and provides project managers and team members with the necessary know-how for a successful implementation project. The focus is on introducing modeling approaches and explaining the structure and interdependencies of systems, modules and entities of APO. Another concern is the integration with the R/3 system(s), both technically and from a process point of view. Since APO projects differ significantly from other SAP projects, some key issues and common mistakes concerning project management are covered.

This volume contains case studies, theoretical papers and project development reports on one of the greatest challenges facing the new digital enterprises: the life cycle approach to management and production. Main issues discussed in the book include CAD/CAM/CIM/CAE, intelligent manufacturing, and control and robotics applications.

This unique book explains how to fashion useful regression models from commonly available data to erect models essential for evidence-based road safety management and research. Composed from techniques and best practices presented over many years of lectures and workshops, The Art of Regression Modeling in Road Safety illustrates that fruitful modeling cannot be done without substantive knowledge about the modeled phenomenon. Class-tested in courses and workshops across North America, the book is ideal for professionals, researchers, university professors, and graduate students with an interest in, or responsibilities related to, road safety. This book also: * Presents for the first time a powerful analytical tool for road safety researchers and practitioners * Includes problems and solutions in each chapter as well as data and spreadsheets for running models and PowerPoint presentation slides * Features pedagogy well-suited for graduate courses and workshops including problems, solutions, and PowerPoint presentations * Equips readers to perform all analyses on a spreadsheet without requiring mastery of complex and costly software * Emphasizes understanding without esoteric mathematics * Makes assumptions visible and explains their role and consequences

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

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

Offshore Risk Assessment is the first book to deal with quantified risk assessment (QRA) as applied specifically to offshore installations and operations. Risk assessment techniques have been used for some years in the offshore oil and gas industry, and their use is set to expand increasingly as the industry moves into new areas and faces new challenges in older regions. The book starts with a thorough discussion of risk analysis methodology. Subsequent chapters are devoted to analytical approaches to escalation, escape, evacuation and rescue analysis of safety and emergency systems. Separate chapters analyze the main hazards of offshore structures: Fire, explosion, collision and falling objects. Risk mitigation and control are then discussed, followed by an outline of an alternative approach to risk modelling that focuses especially on the risk of short-duration activities. Not only does the book describe the state of the art of QRA, it also identifies weaknesses and areas that need development. Readership: Besides being a comprehensive reference for academics and students of marine/offshore risk assessment and management, the book should also be owned by professionals in the industry, contractors, suppliers, consultants and regulatory authorities.