The CIRP Encyclopedia covers the state-of-art of advanced technologies, methods and models for production, production engineering and logistics. While the technological and operational aspects are in the focus, economical aspects are addressed too. The entries for a wide variety of terms were reviewed by the CIRP-Community, representing the highest standards in research. Thus, the content is not only evaluated internationally on a high scientific level but also reflects very recent developments.

The collection of papers in this book comprises the proceedings of the 23rd CIRP Design Conference held between March 11th and March 13th 2013 at the Ruhr-Universität Bochum in Germany. The event was organized in cooperation with the German Academic Society for Product Development – WiGeP. The focus of the conference was on »Smart Product Engineering«, covering two major aspects of modern product creation: the development of intelligent (“smart”) products as well as the new (“smart”) approach of engineering, explicitly taking into account consistent systems integration. Throughout the 97 papers contained in these proceedings, a range of topics are covered, amongst them the different facets and aspects of what makes a product or an engineering solution “smart”. In addition, the conference papers investigate new ways of engineering for production planning and collaboration towards Smart Product Engineering. The publications provide a solid insight into the pressing issues of modern digital product creation facing increasing challenges in a rapidly changing industrial environment. They also give implicit advice how a “smart” product or engineering solution (processes, methods and tools) needs to be designed and implemented in order to become successful.

Collected here are 112 papers concerned with all manner of new directions in manufacturing systems given at the 41st CIRP Conference on Manufacturing Systems. The high-quality material presented in this volume includes reports of work from both scientific and engineering standpoints and several invited and keynote papers addressing the current cutting edge and likely future trends in manufacturing systems. The book’s subjects include: (1) new trends in manufacturing systems design: sustainable design, ubiquitous manufacturing, emergent synthesis, service engineering, value creation, cost engineering, human and social aspects of manufacturing, etc.; (2) new applications for manufacturing systems – medical, life-science, optics, NEMS, etc.; (3) intelligent use of advanced methods and new materials – new manufacturing process technologies, high-hardness materials, bio-medical materials, etc.; (4) integration and control for new machines – compound machine tools, rapid prototyping, printing process integration, etc.

This book examines the fundamental concepts and principles of digital transformation and AI, including their historical development, and underlying technologies, and analyzes the opportunities arising from digital transformation and AI in different sectors, such as healthcare, finance, education, transportation, and governance. It provides a comprehensive overview of digital transformation and AI technologies and their current state of implementation. It also explores the potential challenges and risks associated with digital transformation and AI, including ethical considerations, job displacement, privacy concerns, biases, impact on inequality, social interactions, and the overall well-being of individuals and communities. Additionally, the books provides and discusses policy and regulatory frameworks that can effectively address the opportunities and challenges posed by digital transformation and AI leading to responsible AI. It also delves into impact of automation on the job market and workforce. The book concludes by proposing potential strategies for navigating opportunities and challenges of digital transformation and AI integration. It emphasizes the need for interdisciplinary collaboration among stakeholders, including policymakers, industry leaders, academia, and civil society, to develop a comprehensive approach towards harnessing the full potential of digital transformation and AI and associated technologies. The book employs a multidisciplinary approach, drawing from various fields such as computer science, sociology, philosophy, political science, economics, law and governance. It combines theoretical analysis, empirical case studies, and expert perspectives to provide a holistic view of the subject matter. This book caters to a diverse audience, including students, researchers, academics, policymakers, industry professionals, and technology enthusiasts. It provides a valuable resource for those seeking a comprehensive understanding ofthe opportunities and challenges arising from the integration of digital transformation and AI in society.

The changing manufacturing environment requires more responsive and adaptable manufacturing systems. The theme of the 4th International Conference on Changeable, Agile, Reconfigurable and Virtual production (CARV2011) is “Enabling Manufacturing Competitiveness and Economic Sustainability”. Leading edge research and best implementation practices and experiences, which address these important issues and challenges, are presented. The proceedings include advances in manufacturing systems design, planning, evaluation, control and evolving paradigms such as mass customization, personalization, changeability, re-configurability and flexibility. New and important concepts such as the dynamic product families and platforms, co-evolution of products and systems, and methods for enhancing manufacturing systems’ economic sustainability and prolonging their life to produce more than one product generation are treated. Enablers of change in manufacturing systems, production volume and capability scalability and managing the volatility of markets, competition among global enterprises and the increasing complexity of products, manufacturing systems and management strategies are discussed. Industry challenges and future directions for research and development needed to help both practitioners and academicians are presented.