This book offers a comprehensive guide to implementing a company-wide management system (CWMS), utilising up-to-date methodologies of lean-six sigma in order to achieve high levels of business excellence. It builds the foundation for quality and continuous improvement, which can be implemented in any organization. The book begins with an introduction to and an overview of CWMSs, and reviews the existing literature on various management systems. It then discusses the integration and implementation of lean-six sigma in supply chain management. The integration approach presented highlights the link between the existing management systems and shows how continuous improvement methodologies are incorporated. The book then examines the components of CWMS, comparing them to other systems. It also explores Kano-based six sigma and concludes with further recommendations for reading. This book covers five management systems integrated into one novel approach that can be followed by organizations wishing to achieve quality and business excellence. Covering lean-six sigma - an essential element of management systems - it is a valuable resource for practitioners and academics alike.

This book addresses the hazard of gas explosions in sealed underground coal mines, and how the risk of explosion can be assessed, modeled, and mitigated. With this text, coal mine operators and managers will be able to identify the risks that lead to underground mine gas explosions, and implement practical strategies to optimize mining safety for workers. In six chapters, the book offers a framework for understanding the sealed coal mine atmosphere, the safety characteristics that are currently in place, and the guidelines to be followed by engineers to improve upon these characteristics. The first part of the book describes the importance and characteristics of underground gas mine explosions in a historical context with data showing the high number of fatalities from explosion incidents, and how risk has been mitigated in the past. Chapters also detail mathematical models and explosibility diagrams for determining and understanding the risk factors involved in mine explosions. Readers will also learn about safety operations, and assessments for the sealed mine atmosphere. With descriptions of chapter case studies, mining engineers and researchers will learn how to apply safety measures in underground coal mines to improve mining atmospheres and save lives.

This book presents state-of-the-art probabilistic methods for the reliability analysis and design of engineering products and processes. It seeks to facilitate practical application of probabilistic analysis and design by providing an authoritative, in-depth, and practical description of what probabilistic analysis and design is and how it can be implemented. The text is packed with many practical engineering examples (e.g., electric power transmission systems, aircraft power generating systems, and mechanical transmission systems) and exercise problems. It is an up-to-date, fully illustrated reference suitable for both undergraduate and graduate engineering students, researchers, and professional engineers who are interested in exploring the fundamentals, implementation, and applications of probabilistic analysis and design methods.

The Second Edition of this introduction to fire protection systems is completely revised and updated to offer the student, architect or engineer the basics of fire protection devices and equipment, and how they may be applied to any given project. Fire Protection: Detection, Notification, and Suppression reveals the "nuts and bolts" of fire protection system selection, design and equipment in an applied approach. Whether a mechanical engineer, safety engineer, architect, estimator, fire service personnel, or student studying in these areas, the authors show the pros and the cons of protection systems being proposed, and how they should be compared to one another. It also gives non-fire engineering practitioners a sense of proportion when they are put in a position to select a consultant, and to give a sense of what the consultant may be doing and how a system is being matched to the hazard. Beginning fire protection engineers could also use its language for writing a report about these systems for a client.

This science comic presents the entire life cycle of the metro system in an accessible and fun way. Just like human beings, a metro system can get sick, and this book introduces its ailments, medical records along with experts' diagnoses and available treatments. Using cartoons, it enables readers of all levels to quickly understand the scientific secrets behind the metro system. It is based on the results of China's 973 program, which aims to promote and develop basic scientific research in China.

This book is a practical guide to the uncertainty analysis of computer model applications. Used in many areas, such as engineering, ecology and economics, computer models are subject to various uncertainties at the level of model formulations, parameter values and input data. Naturally, it would be advantageous to know the combined effect of these uncertainties on the model results as well as whether the state of knowledge should be improved in order to reduce the uncertainty of the results most effectively. The book supports decision-makers, model developers and users in their argumentation for an uncertainty analysis and assists them in the interpretation of the analysis results.

The book comprehensively covers the various aspects of risk modeling and analysis in technological contexts. It pursues a systems approach to modeling risk and reliability concerns in engineering, and covers the key concepts of risk analysis and mathematical tools used to assess and account for risk in engineering problems. The relevance of incorporating risk-based structures in design and operations is also stressed, with special emphasis on the human factor and behavioral risks. The book uses the nuclear plant, an extremely complex and high-precision engineering environment, as an example to develop the concepts discussed. The core mechanical, electronic and physical aspects of such a complex system offer an excellent platform for analyzing and creating risk-based models. The book also provides real-time case studies in a separate section to demonstrate the use of this approach. There are many limitations when it comes to applications of risk-based approaches to engineering problems. The book is structured and written in a way that addresses these key gap areas to help optimize the overall methodology. This book serves as a textbook for graduate and advanced undergraduate courses on risk and reliability in engineering. It can also be used outside the classroom for professional development courses aimed at practicing engineers or as an introduction to risk-based engineering for professionals, researchers, and students interested in the field.

Online fault diagnosis is crucial to ensure safe operation of complex dynamic systems in spite of faults affecting the system behaviors. Consequences of the occurrence of faults can be severe and result in human casualties, environmentally harmful emissions, high repair costs, and economical losses caused by unexpected stops in production lines. The majority of real systems are hybrid dynamic systems (HDS). In HDS, the dynamical behaviors evolve continuously with time according to the discrete mode (configuration) in which the system is. Consequently, fault diagnosis approaches must take into account both discrete and continuous dynamics as well as the interactions between them in order to perform correct fault diagnosis. This book presents recent and advanced approaches and techniques that address the complex problem of fault diagnosis of hybrid dynamic and complex systems using different model-based and data-driven approaches in different application domains (inductor motors, chemical process formed by tanks, reactors and valves, ignition engine, sewer networks, mobile robots, planetary rover prototype etc.). These approaches cover the different aspects of performing single/multiple online/offline parametric/discrete abrupt/tear and wear fault diagnosis in incremental/non-incremental manner, using different modeling tools (hybrid automata, hybrid Petri nets, hybrid bond graphs, extended Kalman filter etc.) for different classes of hybrid dynamic and complex systems.

These proceedings showcase the best papers selected from more than 500 submissions, introducing readers to the top research topics and the latest developmental trends in the theory and application of Man-Machine-Environment System Engineering (MMESE). This research topic 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, Machine and Environment, studying the optimum combination of related Man-Machine-Environment systems. In this paradigm, "Man" refers to working people as the subject at 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.). In turn, the three goals of optimization are to ensure safety, efficiency and economy in this context. These proceedings present interdisciplinary studies on the concepts and methods of physiology, psychology, system engineering, computer science, environmental science, management, education, and other related disciplines. They offer a valuable resource for all researchers and professionals whose work involves interdisciplinary areas touching on MMESE subjects.

Cyber-physical systems (CPSs) combine cyber capabilities, such as computation or communication, with physical capabilities, such as motion or other physical processes. Cars, aircraft, and robots are prime examples, because they move physically in space in a way that is determined by discrete computerized control algorithms. Designing these algorithms is challenging due to their tight coupling with physical behavior, while it is vital that these algorithms be correct because we rely on them for safety-critical tasks. This textbook teaches undergraduate students the core principles behind CPSs. It shows them how to develop models and controls; identify safety specifications and critical properties; reason rigorously about CPS models; leverage multi-dynamical systems compositionality to tame CPS complexity; identify required control constraints; verify CPS models of appropriate scale in logic; and develop an intuition for operational effects. The book is supported with homework exercises, lecture videos, and slides.

This book disseminates the current trends among innovative and high-quality research regarding the implementation of conceptual frameworks, strategies, techniques, methodologies, informatics platforms and models for developing advanced industrial tools and techniques and their application in different fields. It presents a collection of theoretical, real-world and original research works in the field of applied industrial tools and techniques. The text goes beyond the state-of-the-art in the field of industrial and software engineering, listing successful applications and use cases of studies of new approaches, applications, methods, techniques for developing advanced industrial tools, methodologies and techniques and their application in different fields. The topics covered in this book are of interest to academics, researchers, students, stakeholders and consultants.

This book offers a high-level treatise of evidence-based decisions in drug development. Because of the inseparable relationship between designs and decisions, a good portion of this book is devoted to the design of clinical trials. The book begins with an overview of product development and regulatory approval pathways. It then discusses how to incorporate prior knowledge into study design and decision making at different stages of drug development. The latter include selecting appropriate metrics to formulate decisions criteria, determining go/no-go decisions for progressing a drug candidate to the next stage and predicting the effectiveness of a product. Lastly, it points out common mistakes made by drug developers under the current drug-development paradigm. The book offers useful insights to statisticians, clinicians, regulatory affairs managers and decision-makers in the pharmaceutical industry who have a basic understanding of the drug-development process and the clinical trials conducted to support drug-marketing authorization. The authors provide software codes for select analytical approaches discussed in the book. The book includes enough technical details to allow statisticians to replicate the quantitative illustrations so that they can generate information to facilitate decision-making themselves.

This book is open access under a CC BY 4.0 license. This book summarizes work being pursued in the context of the CIPRNet (Critical Infrastructure Preparedness and Resilience Research Network) research project, co-funded by the European Union under the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). The project is intended to provide concrete and on-going support to the Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) research communities, enhancing their preparedness for CI-related emergencies, while also providing expertise and technologies for other stakeholders to promote their understanding and mitigation of the consequences of CI disruptions, leading to enhanced resilience. The book collects the tutorial material developed by the authors for several courses on the modelling, simulation and analysis of CIs, representing extensive and integrated CIP expertise. It will help CI stakeholders, CI operators and civil protection authorities understand the complex system of CIs, and help them adapt to these changes and threats in order to be as prepared as possible for mitigating emergencies and crises affecting or arising from CIs.

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.

This book examines pedestrian shoe-floor slip resistance from an engineering standpoint in order to better understand friction and wear behavior. This analysis includes an extensive investigation into the surface properties of shoes and flow, and the measurement of dynamic friction and other mechanical and physical aspects of shoe-floor tribology. Lastly, the book proposes a measurement concept for the identification and classification of operational floor surfaces under a range of different conditions. Novel techniques and methods are proposed that can improve the reliability of slip resistance assessments. The current state of knowledge is critically examined and discussed from a tribological perspective, including aspects like friction, wear, lubrication and the mechanical behavior of shoes, floors and their wider environment. Further, the book reports on extensive experimental investigations into the topographical characteristics of shoe and floor surfaces and how they affect slip resistance. Slips resulting in pedestrian falls are a major cause of injuries and deaths for all age groups. This important book provides essential insights for researchers, practicing engineers and public safety officials wishing to learn about how the risk of pedestrian slips can be assessed and understood.

This book discusses the emerging field of industrial neuroscience, and reports on the authors' cutting-edge findings in the evaluation of mental states, including mental workload, cognitive control and training of personnel involved either in the piloting of aircraft and helicopters, or in managing air traffic. It encompasses neuroimaging and cognitive psychology techniques and shows how they have been successfully applied in the evaluation of human performance and human-machine interactions, and to guarantee a proper level of safety in such operational contexts. With an introduction to the most relevant concepts of neuroscience, neurophysiological techniques, simulators and case studies in aviation environments, it is a must-have for both students and scientists in the field of aeronautic and biomedical engineering, as well as for various professionals in the aviation world. This is the first book to intensively apply neurosciences to the evaluation of human factors and mental states in aviation.

The purpose of this book is to present a comprehensive review of the latest research and development trends at the international level for modeling and optimization of the supplier selection process for different industrial sectors. It is targeted to serve two audiences: the MBA and PhD student interested in procurement, and the practitioner who wishes to gain a deeper understanding of procurement analysis with multi-criteria based decision tools to avoid upstream risks to get better supply chain visibility. The book is expected to serve as a ready reference for supplier selection criteria and various multi-criteria based supplier's evaluation methods for forward, reverse and mass customized supply chain. This book encompasses several criteria, methods for supplier selection in a systematic way based on extensive literature review from 1998 to 2012. It provides several case studies and some useful links which can serve as a starting point for interested researchers. In the appendix several computer code written in MatLab and VB.NET is also included for the interested reader. Lucid explosion of various techniques used to select and evaluate suppliers is one of the unique characteristic of this book. Moreover, this book gives in depth analysis of selection and evaluation of suppliers for traditional supply chain, closed loop supply chain, supply chain for customized product, green supply chain, sustainable supply chain and also depicts methods for supply base reduction and selection of large number of suppliers.

This contributed volume presents the research results of the program "Small machine tools for small work pieces" (SPP 1476), funded by the German Research Society (DFG). The book contains the final report of the priority program, presenting novel approached for size-adapted, reconfigurable micro machine tools. The target audience primarily comprises research experts and practitioners in the field of micro machine tools, but the book may also be beneficial for graduate students.

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 demonstrates the use of a wide range of strategic engineering concepts, theories and applied case studies to improve the safety, security and sustainability of complex and large-scale engineering and computer systems. It first details the concepts of system design, life cycle, impact assessment and security to show how these ideas can be brought to bear on the modeling, analysis and design of information systems with a focused view on cloud-computing systems and big data analytics. This informative book is a valuable resource for graduate students, researchers and industry-based practitioners working in engineering, information and business systems as well as strategy.

This book discusses environmental management and construction management approaches to the environmental problems that can emerge in construction projects. It sets a brand new standard for environmental management in mega construction projects in China and helps all construction project stakeholders establish a more compliant and efficient environmental management system. The authors systematically explore management systems and team management, offering managerial methods and tips based on international and Chinese practices. Outlining all the environmental challenges that can arise during construction, it is a valuable resource for company owners, construction contractors, and construction management consultants and companies. It also offers useful insights for engineers, project managers and project executives.

This book introduces data-driven remaining useful life prognosis techniques, and shows how to utilize the condition monitoring data to predict the remaining useful life of stochastic degrading systems and to schedule maintenance and logistics plans. It is also the first book that describes the basic data-driven remaining useful life prognosis theory systematically and in detail. The emphasis of the book is on the stochastic models, methods and applications employed in remaining useful life prognosis. It includes a wealth of degradation monitoring experiment data, practical prognosis methods for remaining useful life in various cases, and a series of applications incorporated into prognostic information in decision-making, such as maintenance-related decisions and ordering spare parts. It also highlights the latest advances in data-driven remaining useful life prognosis techniques, especially in the contexts of adaptive prognosis for linear stochastic degrading systems, nonlinear degradation modeling based prognosis, residual storage life prognosis, and prognostic information-based decision-making.

This book provides information on the advances in blanching and its effect on food. The author presents the concepts involved in old and novel blanching processes, the typical effects of blanching and the studies on novel blanching technologies.

This book presents original studies describing the latest research and developments in the area of reliability and systems engineering. It helps the reader identifying gaps in the current knowledge and presents fruitful areas for further research in the field. Among others, this book covers reliability measures, reliability assessment of multi-state systems, optimization of multi-state systems, continuous multi-state systems, new computational techniques applied to multi-state systems and probabilistic and non-probabilistic safety assessment.

This book introduces several simple analytical approaches to aid the seamless integration of renewable distributed generation. It focuses on the idea of intelligent integration, which involves locating and developing suitable operational characteristics of renewable distributed generation. After reviewing the options available, the best location should be chosen, an appropriately sized operation should be installed and the most suitable operational characteristics should be adopted. Presenting these simple analytical approaches, their step-by-step implementation and a number of cases studies using test distribution systems, the book clearly demonstrates the technical, economic and environmental benefits of intelligent integration.