First published in 1998, this volume was designed to lead to an operational model of Advanced Manufacturing Technology (AMT) decision making which incorporated the mathematics of fuzzy set theory. The rapid advancement of robotics, automated technologies and software such as CAD and CAM have made such studies paramount. Here, analyses of a questionnaire survey and field study of major UK manufacturing companies together provide a simulating portrayal of AMT investment decision making and have been expanded upon with a model using fuzzy set theory.

First published in 1998, this volume was designed to lead to an operational model of Advanced Manufacturing Technology (AMT) decision making which incorporated the mathematics of fuzzy set theory. The rapid advancement of robotics, automated technologies and software such as CAD and CAM have made such studies paramount. Here, analyses of a questionnaire survey and field study of major UK manufacturing companies together provide a simulating portrayal of AMT investment decision making and have been expanded upon with a model using fuzzy set theory.

Competence in investment analysis is now a basic requirement for most practicing managers, engineers, and financial analysts in order to avoid possible serious mistakes arising from flawed or inadequate knowledge of the discipline. Furthermore, individuals who make decisions based on technical economics stake their professional futures, in many cases, on the accuracy of such evaluations. The aim of this volume is to provide a balanced view of the essential components of economic and financial analysis including: 1. Strategic and design issues; 2. Principles of cost management systems and activity-based costing, and; 3. Tools for developing the financial measures of investment worth, with advanced topics and case studies in these three areas.This volume provides a refreshing insight into the various methods that engineers, managers, and financial analysts may need to consider to find good alternatives for the investment of scarce resources. Not only are new ventures presented, but also improvements within existing facilities that include process modification, product design, equipment replacement, and plant expansion/contraction.

Strategic Decision Making in Modern Manufacturing introduces and explains the AMBIT (Advanced Manufacturing Business ImplemenTation) approach, which has been developed to bridge the gap between strategic management considerations and the operational effects of technology investment decisions on the manufacturing organisation, so that the likely impact of new manufacturing technology and/or programme implementations can be evaluated, anticipated and accurately predicted. The AMBIT approach focuses specifically on the non-financial aspects of such investment decisions and offers an approach that allows a manager, or more frequently a management team, to understand the impacts of a new technology or a new programme on the manufacturing organisation in terms of manufacturing performance.

Introduction to Advanced Manufacturing was written by two experienced and passionate engineers whose mission is to make the subject of advanced manufacturing easy to understand and a practical solution to everyday problems. Harik, Ph.D. and Wuest, Ph.D., professors who have taught the subject for decades, combined their expertise to develop both an applied manual and a theoretical reference that addresses many different needs. Introduction to Advanced Manufacturing covers the following topics in detail: • Composites Manufacturing • Smart Manufacturing • Additive Manufacturing • Computer Aided Manufacturing • Polymers Manufacturing • Assembly Processes • Manufacturing Quality Control and Productivity • Subtractive Manufacturing • Deformative Manufacturing Introduction to Advanced Manufacturing offers a new, refreshing way of studying how things are made in the digital age. With academics and industry professionals in mind, Introduction to Advanced Manufacturing paves the ground for those interested in the new opportunities of Industry 4.0.

As one of the eighteen field-specific reports comprising the comprehensive scope of the strategic general report of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, this sub-report addresses long-range planning for developing science and technology in the field of advanced manufacturing technology. They each craft a roadmap for their sphere of development to 2050. In their entirety, the general and sub-group reports analyze the evolution and laws governing the development of science and technology, describe the decisive impact of science and technology on the modernization process, predict that the world is on the eve of an impending S&T revolution, and call for China to be fully prepared for this new round of S&T advancement. Based on the detailed study of the demands on S&T innovation in China’s modernization, the reports draw a framework for eight basic and strategic systems of socio-economic development with the support of science and technology, work out China’s S&T roadmaps for the relevant eight basic and strategic systems in line with China’s reality, further detail S&T initiatives of strategic importance to China’s modernization, and provide S&T decision-makers with comprehensive consultations for the development of S&T innovation consistent with China’s reality. Supported by illustrations and tables of data, the reports provide researchers, government officials and entrepreneurs with guidance concerning research directions, the planning process, and investment. Founded in 1949, the Chinese Academy of Sciences is the nation’s highest academic institution in natural sciences. Its major responsibilities are to conduct research in basic and technological sciences, to undertake nationwide integrated surveys on natural resources and ecological environment, to provide the country with scientific data and consultations for government’s decision-making, to undertake government-assigned projects with regard to key S&T problems in the process of socio-economic development, to initiate personnel training, and to promote China’s high-tech enterprises through its active engagement in these areas.