Design and Analysis of Integrated Manufacturing Systems is a fresh look at manufacturing from a systems point of view. This collection of papers from a symposium sponsored by the National Academy of Engineering explores the need for new technologies, the more effective use of new tools of analysis, and the improved integration of all elements of manufacturing operations, including machines, information, and humans. It is one of the few volumes to include detailed proposals for research that match the needs of industry.

A technological book is written and published for one of two reasons: it either renders some other book in the same field obsolete or breaks new ground in the sense that a gap is filled. The present book aims to do the latter. On my return from industry to an academic career, I started writing this book because I had seen that a gap existed. Although a great deal of information appeared in the published literature about various technical aspects of advanced manufacturing technology (AMT), surprisingly little had been written about the systems con text within which the sophisticated hardware and software of AMT are utilized to increase efficiency. Therefore, I have attempted in this book to show how structured approaches in the design and evaluation of modern manufacturing plant may be adopted, with the objective of improving the performance of the factory as a whole. I hope this book will be a contribution to the newly recognized, multidisciplinary engineering function known as manufacturing sys tems engineering. The text has been designed specifically to demonstrate the systems aspects of modern manufacturing operations, including: systems con cepts of manufacturing operation; manufacturing systems modelling and evalua tion; and the structured design of manufacturing systems~ One of the major difficulties associated with writing a text of this nature stems from the diversity of the topics involved. I have attempted to solve this problem by adopting an overall framework into which the relevant topics are fitted.

This text explores the context for the manufacturing systems design process; and presents an innovative approach to manufacturing systems design (IMP).

Crossing the Border examines the emergence of a new philosophy based on the idea of "human-centred technology" and, through the use of a case study, illustrates the ways in which users, social scientists, managers and engineers can participate in the design and development of human-centred computer integrated manufacturing (CIM) system. The book offers a unique insight into a large European project (ESPRIT project 1217) aimed at the design and development of a human-centred CIM system. The book examines the problems inherent in developing interdisciplinary design methods and of "crossing the border" between the social and engineering sciences. The authors offer proposals and guidelines for overcoming such problems based on their experience within this project. Crossing the Border will be of particular interest to researchers and practitioners in the area of factory automation, to students and researchers in AI, and to all those interested in the human and organisational issues surrounding the computerised factory of the future.