Flexible Manufacturing Systems (FMS) involve substituting machines capable of performing a wide and redefinable variety of tasks for machines dedicated to the performance of specific tasks. FMS can also be programmed to handle new products, thus extending the machines' life cycles. Thus they represent a change from "standardized goods produced by customized machines" to "customized goods produced by standardized machines." This volume contains new and updated material in this field, and will be of great interest to researchers, managers and students concerned with problems related to flexible manufacturing systems.

Analyzing maintenance as an integrated system with objectives, strategies and processes that need to be planned, designed, engineered, and controlled using statistical and optimization techniques, the theme of this book is the strategic holistic system approach for maintenance. This approach enables maintenance decision makers to view maintenance as a provider of a competitive edge not a necessary evil. Encompassing maintenance systems; maintenance strategic and capacity planning, planned and preventive maintenance, work measurements and standards, material (spares) control, maintenance operations and control, planning and scheduling, maintenance quality, training, and others, this book gives readers an understanding of the relevant methodology and how to apply it to real-world problems in industry. Each chapter includes a number exercises and is suitable as a textbook or a reference for a professionals and practitioners whilst being of interest to industrial engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and industrial management students. It can also be used as a textbook for short courses on maintenance in industry. This text is the second edition of the book, which has four new chapters added and three chapters are revised substantially to reflect development in maintenance since the publication of the first edition. The new chapters cover reliability centered maintenance, total productive maintenance, e-maintenance and maintenance performance, productivity and continuous improvement.

Analyzing maintenance as an integrated system with objectives, strategies and processes that need to be planned, designed, engineered, and controlled using statistical and optimization techniques, the theme of this book is the strategic holistic system approach for maintenance. This approach enables maintenance decision makers to view maintenance as a provider of a competitive edge not a necessary evil. Encompassing maintenance systems; maintenance strategic and capacity planning, planned and preventive maintenance, work measurements and standards, material (spares) control, maintenance operations and control, planning and scheduling, maintenance quality, training, and others, this book gives readers an understanding of the relevant methodology and how to apply it to real-world problems in industry. Each chapter includes a number exercises and is suitable as a textbook or a reference for a professionals and practitioners whilst being of interest to industrial engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and industrial management students.  It can also be used as a textbook for short courses on maintenance in industry.                This text is the second edition of the book, which has four new chapters added and three chapters are revised substantially to reflect development in maintenance since the publication of the first edition. The new chapters cover reliability centered maintenance, total productive maintenance, e-maintenance and maintenance performance, productivity and continuous improvement.