The fundamental motivation of this book is to contribute to the future advancement of Asset Management in the context of industrial plants and infrastructures. The book aims to foster a future perspective that takes advantage of value-based and intelligent asset management in order to make a step forward with respect to the evolution observed nowadays. Indeed, the current understanding of asset management is primarily supported by well-known standards. Nonetheless, asset management is still a young discipline and the knowledge developed by industry and academia is not set in stone yet. Furthermore, current trends in new organizational concepts and technologies lead to an evolutionary path in the field. Therefore, this book aims to discuss this evolutionary path, starting first of all from the consolidated theory, then moving forward to discuss: * The strategic understanding of value-based asset management in a company; * An operational definition of value, as a concept on the background of value-based asset management; * The identification of intelligent asset management, with the aim to frame a set of "tools" recommended to support the asset-related decision-making process over the asset lifecycle; * The emergence of new technologies such as cyber physical systems and digital twins, and the implications of this on asset management.

This volume contains selected papers from the Second Quadrennial International Conference on Structural Integrity (ICONS-2018). The papers cover important topics related to structural integrity of critical installations, such as power plants, aircrafts, spacecrafts, defense and civilian components. The focus is on assuring safety of operations with high levels of reliability and structural integrity. This volume will be of interest to plant operators working with safety critical equipment, engineering solution providers, software professionals working on engineering analysis, as well as academics working in the area.

This book discusses the risks of information concealment in the context of major natural or industrial disasters - offering detailed descriptions and analyses of some 25 historical cases (Three Mile Island nuclear accident, Bhopal disaster, Challenger Space Shuttle explosion, Chernobyl nuclear disaster, Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear disaster, Enron's bankruptcy, Subprime mortgage crisis, Worldwide Spanish flu and SARS outbreaks, etc.) and applying these insights to selected on-going cases where such information concealment is suspected. Some successful examples of preventive anti-concealment practice are also presented. In the book, the term 'concealment' is used to represent the two distinct behaviors uncovered in the investigations: (i) facts and information about an organization and its functioning being hidden from those that need them - here the concealment can be due to various factors, such as complexity and miscommunication, to name but two - and (ii) the conscious and deliberate action of keeping important information secret or misrepresenting it. This second meaning makes up a surprisingly important part of the evidence presented. Accordingly, emphasis has been put on this second aspect and the approach is more pragmatic than academic, remaining focused on evidence-based practical and useful factors. It raises awareness and provides valuable lessons for decision- makers, risk specialists and responsible citizens alike. This work is also intended as a fact-based reference work for future academic and scholarly investigations on the roots of the problem, in particular regarding any psychological or sociological modeling of human fallibility.

This book presents selected papers from the International Conference of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering 2019 (AeroMech 2019), held at the Universiti Sains Malaysia's School of Aerospace Engineering. Sharing new innovations and discoveries concerning the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), with a focus on 3D printing, big data analytics, Internet of Things, advanced human-machine interfaces, smart sensors and location detection technologies, it will appeal to mechanical and aerospace engineers.

This book discusses the main quality management (QM) programs and their possible integration into systematic industrial maintenance (SIM). Unlike traditional engineering maintenance books, it not only explains the theory but also provides practical examples of the integration of QM and SIM programs. It also includes reference sources, making it useful for readers wanting to explore specific areas in more depth. Chapter 1 introduces various aspects of the main quality management (QM) programs, including total quality management (TQM), just-in-time (JIT) and lean manufacturing (Lean). Subsequently, it examines the relation of quality and maintenance. Chapter 2 reviews the concepts of systematic industrial maintenance (SIM) and the application of quality control (QC) tools. Chapter 3 offers an overview, historical perspective and trends in industrial maintenance techniques. Chapters 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 focus on topics related to schedule-based maintenance, condition-based maintenance, reliability-based maintenance, computerized-based maintenance, risk-based maintenance and total productive maintenance. Covering the theory of each of these types of SIM, the chapters also explain their real-world application in QM and highlight their merits and weaknesses in the context of supporting QM.

"Degradation process" refers to many types of reliability models, which correspond to various kinds of stochastic processes used for deterioration modeling. This book focuses on the case of a univariate degradation model with a continuous set of possible outcomes. The envisioned univariate models have one single measurable quantity which is assumed to be observed over time. The first three chapters are each devoted to one degradation model. The last chapter illustrates the use of the previously described degradation models on some real data sets. For each of the degradation models, the authors provide probabilistic results and explore simulation tools for sample paths generation. Various estimation procedures are also developed.

This book helps professionals to turn their own Six Sigma projects into reality. Using a sample project, the book guides readers through all aspects of Six Sigma, from identifying and defining a suitable project topic, to sustainably managing its success in the control phase. By demonstrating all the necessary steps supported by a DMAIC software guide, it makes the application of the sequentially linked DMAIC tools easy to understand and directly transferable to typical Six Sigma business projects. Further, each chapter provides numerous questions and answers, tasks and the framework for an environmental standard project. This book is an essential part of the author's teaching material on the topic, which also includes the software 'sigmaGuide', a template for project documentation and several hours of video content featuring course materials on edX Learning Community.

This book covers the basic scientific theory and related application technologies of the pantograph-catenary system, including research findings on pantograph/catenary contact resistance, pantograph interface thermal effect, laws and characteristics of current-carrying friction and wear, the main research methods for pantograph arcs, the effects of arcs on pantograph systems and onboard equipment, and the materials used for pantographs and contact wires. Given its scope, it offers a valuable resource for students, scholars, and development engineers alike. The relationship between pantograph and catenary is one of the three core aspects of the safe operation of high-speed electrified railways. The pantograph system provides electric power for the high-speed train through the sliding electric contact. As the train's operating speed increases, the pantograph system enters a state of prolonged sliding/vibration, resulting in frequent arcs, electrode erosion, and increased wear.

This textbook explores probability and stochastic processes at a level that does not require any prior knowledge except basic calculus. It presents the fundamental concepts in a step-by-step manner, and offers remarks and warnings for deeper insights. The chapters include basic examples, which are revisited as the new concepts are introduced. To aid learning, figures and diagrams are used to help readers grasp the concepts, and the solutions to the exercises and problems. Further, a table format is also used where relevant for better comparison of the ideas and formulae. The first part of the book introduces readers to the essentials of probability, including combinatorial analysis, conditional probability, and discrete and continuous random variable. The second part then covers fundamental stochastic processes, including point, counting, renewal and regenerative processes, the Poisson process, Markov chains, queuing models and reliability theory. Primarily intended for undergraduate engineering students, it is also useful for graduate-level students wanting to refresh their knowledge of the basics of probability and stochastic processes.

This book provides a comprehensive and practically minded introduction into serious games for law enforcement agencies. Serious games offer wide ranging benefits for law enforcement with applications from professional trainings to command-level decision making to the preparation for crises events. This book explains the conceptual foundations of virtual and augmented reality, gamification and simulation. It further offers practical guidance on the process of serious games development from user requirements elicitation to evaluation. The chapters are intended to provide principles, as well as hands-on knowledge to plan, design, test and apply serious games successfully in a law enforcement environment. A diverse set of case studies showcases the enormous variety that is possible in serious game designs and application areas and offers insights into concrete design decisions, design processes, benefits and challenges. The book is meant for law enforcement professionals interested in commissioning their own serious games as well as game designers interested in collaborative pedagogy and serious games for the law enforcement and security sector.

This book consists of two parts, the first of which focuses on combustible solids, and the second on the industrial position concerning these materials. It includes practical data and information on all biomass sources, from woodchips to sewage sludge, as well as mixtures. Biomass materials are rapidly becoming a fundamental energy source, and their consumption will surpass that of fossil fuels in the near future. The risk of explosion of biomass dust materials can lead to massive economic and human losses worldwide, and applies to every facility that produces, processes or handles these materials. A better understanding of the risk could help reduce the number of accidents; until now, however, no book has been published on the subject. This book is the first to gather the latest information, both from the authors and from other researchers, while also providing explanations and clarifications of how to correctly determine the most relevant parameters and use them to ensure safer environments. It was written in clear, straightforward language to make it accessible for a broad range of readers, from students to senior researchers.

This book provides a detailed insight into the complex dynamics of radicalization that are in play amongst contemporary society. The authors focus on understanding emerging trends and models that can be used to analyse and understand modern violent extremist and xenophobic discourse. The chapters cover multiple regions, providing a collective analysis of country-specific case studies for the formulation of best practices, recommendations and learning material. It is recommended that this book may serve as a compendium for practitioners, academics, teachers and students wishing to gain state-of-the art knowledge. Topics covered by the authors vary from hands-on practical information to tactical, operational, strategic and ethical guidance. This book provides a holistic, harmonized approach based upon European internal security strategies recognizing that internal security cannot be achieved in isolation from the rest of the world. Additionally, this material resonates with the EU's commitment to fight extremism in a rational manner, alongside promoting human rights, democracy, peace and stability within the EU Member States. Presents a comprehensive understanding of the interconnectivities and trends behind emerging radicalisation patterns; Features newest conceptual and practical knowledge to monitor, analyse and respond to radicalization around the world; Provides a comprehensive view into the methodologies for analysis, through visualizations, case studies and applications.

This book introduces a number of new sampling plans, such as time truncated life tests, skip sampling plans, resubmitted plans, mixed sampling plans, sampling plans based on the process capability index and plans for big data, which can be used for testing and inspecting products, from the raw-materials stage to the final product, in every industry using statistical process control techniques. It also presents the statistical theory, methodology and applications of acceptance sampling from truncated life tests. Further, it discusses the latest reliability, quality and risk analysis methods based on acceptance sampling from truncated life, which engineering and statisticians require in order to make decisions, and which are also useful for researchers in the areas of quality control, lifetime analysis, censored data analysis, goodness-of-fit and statistical software applications. In its nine chapters, the book addresses a wide range of testing/inspection sampling schemes for discrete and continuous data collected in various production processes. It includes a chapter on sampling plans for big data and offers several illustrative examples of the procedures presented. Requiring a basic knowledge of probability distributions, inference and estimation, and lifetime and quality analysis, it is a valuable resource for graduate and senior undergraduate engineering students, and practicing engineers, more specifically it is useful for quality engineers, reliability engineers, consultants, black belts, master black belts, students and researchers interested in applying reliability and risk and quality methods.

This book reports on innovative technologies and their applications in the field of mechanical engineering, covering new design methods as well as the practical implementation and optimization of existing ones to satisfy growing and changing industrial needs. The book features the proceedings of the International Online Conference on Innovations Induced by Research in Technical Systems (IIRTS'2019), organized by the Department of Technical and Informatics Systems Engineering - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Koszalin University of Technology (Poland). The book offers a snapshot of innovative methods, cutting-edge applications, and industrially relevant findings in the broad field of technical systems.

This book discusses a major issue in the food contact materials industry: non-intentionally added substances (NIAS), and their impact on PET-bottled water. NIAS are chemical compounds that are present in food contact materials but have not been added for technical reasons during the production process, and consumers are usually unaware of their presence. NIAS can include decomposition or degradation products, impurities in the raw materials, unwanted by-products or contaminants from recycling processes, and they pose a challenge for packaging manufacturers. In Europe, the EU Regulations No. 1935/2004 and 10/2011 set out, respectively, the general principles of safety and inertness for all packaging materials, and rules on the composition of plastic food-contact materials. Among the plastics commonly used for bottled water and other non-alcoholic refreshment beverages, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is the most favoured thanks to its chemical and physical stability, its transparency, low weight and good recyclability. Further, very few additives are used for its manufacture. Nonetheless, due to the complex formulations of polymers, processes and storage, NIAS can also be found in PET-bottled water, with potential cancerogenic or toxic effects. This book provides an overview of the European regulation of NIAS in plastic packaging materials, offering insights into their chemical composition in PET-bottled water. Lastly, it provides a useful discussion on NIAS and their toxicity.

Im Mittelpunkt stehen Zuverl ssigkeits- und Lebensdauerfragen mikroskopisch kleiner Bauteilstrukturen, wie sie f r die Aufbau- und Verbindungstechnik der Mikroelektronik bzw. Mikrosystemtechnik typisch sind. Der mikrostrukturelle Aufbau von Werkstoffen, die Werkstoffverformung und die Materialsch digung werden systematisch und detailliert dargestellt. Die methodischen Besonderheiten gegen ber der klassischen Werkstoffpr fung erl utert der Autor anhand zahlreicher konkreter Beispiele.

This book explores the major differences between the kinds of risk encountered in different sectors of industry - production (including agriculture) and services - and identifies the main features of accidents within different industries. Because of these differences, unique risk-mitigation measures will need to be implemented in one industry that cannot be implemented in another, leading to large managerial differences between these broad economic sectors. Based on the analysis of more than 500 disasters, accidents and incidents - around 230 cases from the production sector and around 280 cases from the service sector - the authors compare the risk response actions appropriate within different sectors, and establish when and how it is possible to generalize the experience of dealing with risks in any given industry to a wider field of economic activity. This book is mainly intended for executives, strategists, senior risk managers of enterprise-wide organizations and risk management experts engaged in academic or consulting work. By setting out clearly the sector differences in risk management, the authors aim to improve the practice of general risk assessment with regard to identifying and prioritizing risks, and of risk control with regard to planning appropriate mitigation measures.

This book explores food traceability in raw materials, additives and packing of the dairy sector and it provides an accessible and succinct overview of the new Extended Traceability (ExTra) software. In this work, the authors present several practical examples of extended food traceability for edible products and food-contact materials in the cheese-making industry. Readers will also discover a summary of the existing legal and regulatory requirements for food traceability in Europe. This book will appeal to a wide readership, from academic researchers to professionals and auditors in industry working in quality control, food and packing traceability, and international regulation.

This book explains the role of food-oriented (or 'food-centric') quality system standards in the modern food and beverage industry. It discusses food safety schemes based on the international norm ISO 9001 and the "Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points" approach, and also introduces the new Global Standard for Food Safety (GSFS) and the International Featured Standard (IFS, 7th ed.), outlining standardization for international equivalence (while maintaining the necessary flexibility and independence - which is not always easy an easy task).Providing selected specific examples, it examines the problems of chemical additives and possible cross-contaminations between different production lines, as well as adequate reactions to and handling of intentional adulterations. In addition, it includes a chapter focusing on quality audits and technical data sheets in the food industry, and a final chapter describing the certification of food-grade lubricants in the food industry, especially with regard to allergenic substances.

This book covers a variety of topics in manufacturing, with a special emphasis on product design, production planning, and implementation of both resources and production processes. The content is based on papers presented at the 6th International Scientific Technical Conference MANUFACTURING 2019, held in Poznan, Poland on May 19-22, 2019. The main focus is on showing best practices to use tools currently available in the enterprises to effectively improving industrial processes. Knowledge and production flow management, decision-making systems, production leveling, enterprise efficiency, as well as maintenance, modeling and simulation of production processes are just some of the topics discussed in this book, which offers a timely and practice-oriented reference guide for applied researchers, product engineers and product managers.

Here, expert authors delineate approaches that can support both decision makers as well as their concerned populations in overcoming unwarranted fears and in elaborating policies based on scientific evidence. Four exemplary focus areas were chosen for in-depth review, namely:- The scientific basis of risk management- Risk management in the area of environmental and ecological policy- Risk management in radiation medicine- Risk management in context with digitalization and roboticsGeneral as well as specific recommendations are summarized in a memorandum. Fundamental thoughts on the topic are presented in the introductory part of the book. The idea for and contents of the book were developed at a workshop on "Sustainable Risk Management: How to manage risks in a sensible and responsible manner?" held in Feldafing at Lake Starnberg (Germany) on April 14 to 16, 2016. The book offers important information and advice for scientists, entrepreneurs, administrators and politicians.

This book focuses on technical safety, means of expanding the current procedures, and making the related risks more predictable. It identifies the 'hidden commonalities' of the various technical safety concepts and formulates a corresponding procedure, applicable across disciplines, in a single guideline. The future is now: we constantly face change through science, research and technologies, change through industrial development, and new innovations and complexities. Our society fundamentally depends on technical systems, infrastructures and interconnected smart components, in every corner of the human environment. And these systems bring with them the need for technical safety. The risks of extending what is technically feasible have to be identified and analyzed at an early stage so as to avoid and/or mitigate potential harm by means of appropriate countermeasures. Every technical field interprets technical safety in its own way. However, if a safety concept is to be comprehensively applied, it must be compatible with all technical fields - a challenge this book successfully addresses.

These proceedings showcase the best papers selected from more than 500 submissions, and introduce readers to the hottest research topics and the latest developmental trends in the theory and application of MMESE. 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 Long from October 22nd, 1993, 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 man-machine-environment systems. In this system, "Man" refers to working people as the subject 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 main goals of optimizing man-machine-environment systems are to ensure safety, efficiency and economy. These proceedings present interdisciplinary studies on essential concepts and methods from physiology, psychology, system engineering, computer science, environmental science, management, education, and other related disciplines. As such, they offer a valuable resource for all researchers and professionals whose work involves interdisciplinary areas touching on MMESE subjects.

This book presents the latest developments and breakthroughs in fuzzy theory and performance prediction of queuing and reliability models by using the stochastic modeling and optimization theory. The main focus is on analytics that use fuzzy logic, queuing and reliability theory for the performance prediction and optimal design of real-time engineering systems including call centers, telecommunication, manufacturing, service organizations, etc. For the day-to-day as well as industrial queuing situations and reliability prediction of machining parts embedded in computer, communication and manufacturing systems, the book assesses various measures of performance and effectiveness that can provide valuable insights and help arrive at the best decisions with regard to service and engineering systems. In twenty chapters, the book presents both theoretical developments and applications of the fuzzy logic, reliability and queuing models in a diverse range of scenarios. The topics discussed will be of interest to researchers, educators and undergraduate students in the fields of Engineering, Business Management, and the Mathematical Sciences.

This book offers all countries a guide to implementing verification systems for medical devices to ensure they satisfy their regulations. It describes the processes, procedures and need for integrating medical devices into the legal metrology framework, addresses their independent safety and performance verification, and highlights the associated savings for national healthcare systems, all with the ultimate goal of increasing the efficacy and reliability of patient diagnoses and treatment. The book primarily focuses on diagnostic and therapeutic medical devices, and reflects the latest international directives and regulations. Above all, the book demonstrates that integrating medical devices into the legal metrology system and establishing a fully operational national laboratory for the inspection of medical devices could significantly improve the reliability of medical devices in diagnosis and patient care, while also reducing costs for the healthcare system in the respective country.