Modern manufacturing systems involve many processes and operations at various hierarchical levels of decision, control and execution. New applications for systems are arising from the synergy of machines, tools, robots and computers with management and information technologies. Novel systems are designed and put into operation to manufacture old and new high-quality products with speed, accuracy and economy. This book contains over thirty papers that examine state-of-the-art and how-to-do issues, as well as new solutions. Topics covered include: Process planning/scheduling and machine-cell design Process monitoring, inspection, diagnosis and maintenance Forecasting, optimization and control Design and control of robotic automated crane systems Applications: including laser material processing, stereolithography systems, alimentary pasta processes and automated/robotic road construction and maintenance. The book explores key elements and critical factors, presents new results and tools that are applicable to real situations.

A collection of 36 timely contributions from experts in the manufacturing field The papers cover a wide range of problems, techniques and tools that reflect recent research trends in the field New results and tools are presented that are applicable to real situations

Inhalt
I: Process Planning-Scheduling and Machine Cell Design.- 1. Concepts for Integrating Process Planning and Production Scheduling.- 2. Intelligence in Computer-Aided Process Planning for Machining.- 3. Single and Multi-Machine Scheduling of Jobs in Production Systems.- 4. A Study of Self-Organization in a Production Environment.- 5. The Process Plan Sequence in Steel Structures Welding of Great Diesel Engines.- 6. Design of Part-Machine Cells in Manufacturing Systems Using Mathematical Programming Techniques.- II : Process Monitoring, Inspection, Diagnosis and Maintenance.- 7. Knowledge Based Process Monitoring in Mass Production.- 8. Recent Developments in Automated Visual Inspection of Wood Boards.- 9. Automated Visual Quality Inspection of Printed Ceramic Dishes.- 10. Grafcet : Methodological and Formal Issues.- 11. A Synergistic Self-Organizing System for Control Chart Pattern Recognition.- 12. Conveyor-Belt Diagnostic System Using Time- Frequency Analysis.- 13. Integration of the Predictive Maintenance in Manufacturing System.- 14. A Geometric Calibration Method for Single-Head-Cone- Beam X-Ray Systems.- 15. A Tool for the Evaluation of Fieldbuses Reliability for Intelligence Distributed Automation System Design.- III: System Forecasting, Optimization and Control.- 16. Industrial Forecasting Using Knowledge-Based Techniques and Artificial Neural Networks.- 17. DAPHNE : A Neural Network Based Short-Term Load Forecasting Program. Application to an Autonomous Power System.- 18. Process Optimization System Used in Metallurgical Plants.- 19. Knowledge-Based Control Synthesis of Discrete Event Dynamic Systems.- 20. Static and Dynamic Control of Discrete Event Dynamic Systems.- 21. Min-Max Control with Application to Discrete Event Dynamic Systems.- IV : Robotic and Traveling Crane Systems.- 22. Force Sensing in Microrobot Systems : An Overview.- 23. Vision-Based Control Approaches for Trajectory Correction of Microrobots.- 24. Exploiting a Human Arm Model for Fast, Intuitive and Time-Delays-Robust Telemanipulation.- 25. Intelligent Robotic Assembly and Disassembly : General Architecture and Implementation Case Studies.- 26. Integrated Design for Flexible Assembly System : Robotic Arc Welding Stations for Containers.- 27. Stereo Image Processing and Virtual Reality in an Intelligent Robot Control System.- 28. Tracking Control for Automated Bridge Cranes.- 29. Robust Feedforward Control Design for Variation of Resonant Frequency and its Application to Crane Systems.- 30. Path Planning and Navigation of Overhead Traveling Crane with Three-Dimensional Transport Based on a Diffusion Equation Strategy.- V : Specific Applications.- 31. Teleworkplace in Laser Material Processing.- 32. Batch and Adaptive Instantaneous Blind Source Separation Algorithms Applied to Pyroelectric Sensor Response in Real Time.- 33. Build-Time Estimation Tools for Rapid Prototyping Stereolithography Systems.- 34. An Efficient PC-Based Environment for the Improvement of Magnetic Cores Industrial Process.- 35. Analysis and Reconfiguration of a Packing Production Process in an Alimentary Pasta Firm.- 36. Perspectives of Implementing Automated and Robotic- Based Techniques in Road Infrastructure Construction and Maintenance Operations.