This volume contains selected manuscripts of the papers presented at the 4th International Conference on Integrated Design and Manufacturing in Mechanical Engineering - IDMME 2002 held in Clermont-Ferrand, France, at the Institut Franyais de Mecanique A vancee (French Institute for Advanced Mechanics), May 14-16,2002. Following the first three IDMME conferences (held in Nantes in 1966, in Compiegne in 1998 and in Montreal in 2000), the purpose of IDMME 2002 conference was to present recent developments in the integration and the optimization of product design and manufacturing systems. The initiative and the organization of the conference exists thanks to the French national network AIP-PRIMECA (AlP - Ateliers Inter Etablissements de Productique I Inter-Institute Productics Workshops and PRIMECA - Pole de Ressources Informatiques pour la MECAnique I Computer Resource Pole for Mechanics). The conference benefited from the scientific sponsoring of AFM - Association Franyaise de Mecanique (French Association of Mechanical Engineering), ASME - American Society of Mechanical Engineering, CIRP - College International pour l'Etude Scientifique des Techniques de Production Mecanique (International Institution for Production Engineering Research), CSMA - Computational Structural Mechanics Association, IFToMM - International Federation for the Theory of Machines and Mechanisms, SCGM/CSME - Societe Canadienne de Genie Mecanique I Canadian Society of Mechanical Engineering."

The 33 papers presented in this book were selected from amongst the 97 papers presented during the sixth edition of the International Conference on Integrated Design and Manufacturing in Mechanical Engineering during 28 sessions. This conference represents the state-of-the-art research in the field. Two keynote papers introduce the subject of the Conference and are followed by the different themes highlighted during the conference.

The 33 papers presented in this book were selected from amongst the 97 papers presented during the 6th edition of the International Conference on Integrated Design and Manufacturing in Mechanical Engineering during 28 sessions. This conference was organized within the framework of the activities of the AIP-PRIMECA network whose main scientific field is integrated design applied to both mechanical engineering and production, and represents state-of-the-art research. It shows the urgent need for change in product development with the integration during the design activity of the global life cycle of the product. Two keynote papers introduce the subject of the Conference and are followed by the different themes highlighted during the conference: The design/manufacturing interface; Integrated design of manufacturing processes; Life cycle design and manufacturing approaches; Agility in design and manufacture; Knowledge in engineering; and Management in production systems.

This volume contains selected manuscripts of the papers presented at the 4th International Conference on Integrated Design and Manufacturing in Mechanical Engineering - IDMME 2002 held in Clermont-Ferrand, France, at the Institut Franyais de Mecanique A vancee (French Institute for Advanced Mechanics), May 14-16,2002. Following the first three IDMME conferences (held in Nantes in 1966, in Compiegne in 1998 and in Montreal in 2000), the purpose of IDMME 2002 conference was to present recent developments in the integration and the optimization of product design and manufacturing systems. The initiative and the organization of the conference exists thanks to the French national network AIP-PRIMECA (AlP - Ateliers Inter Etablissements de Productique I Inter-Institute Productics Workshops and PRIMECA - Pole de Ressources Informatiques pour la MECAnique I Computer Resource Pole for Mechanics). The conference benefited from the scientific sponsoring of AFM - Association Franyaise de Mecanique (French Association of Mechanical Engineering), ASME - American Society of Mechanical Engineering, CIRP - College International pour l'Etude Scientifique des Techniques de Production Mecanique (International Institution for Production Engineering Research), CSMA - Computational Structural Mechanics Association, IFToMM - International Federation for the Theory of Machines and Mechanisms, SCGM/CSME - Societe Canadienne de Genie Mecanique I Canadian Society of Mechanical Engineering."