This book covers recent advances in simultaneous engineering and contemporary issues related to the development and implementation of successful systems. The scope of material includes recent research related to simultaneous engineering problem-solving architectures, organizational issues, tools and techniques of simultaneous engineering, design methods, and application of artificial intelligence and numeric tools.

Das Konzept des Simultaneous Engineering (SE) besagt, daß die Produktplanung alle Abteilungen eines Unternehmens sowie auch dessen Kundenvertreter mit einbezieht. Ziel ist der gemeinsame Informationsaustausch, um den Entwurfs-, Entwicklungs- und Produktionsprozeß des Produktes zu rationalisieren, damit das Endprodukt den Erwartungen und Bedürfnissen des Endverbrauchers entspricht. Die US-Automobilindustrie hat SE in den letzten 10 Jahren sehr erfolgreich eingesetzt, um die Kundenzufriedenheit für ihre Produkte zu steigern. Ribbens zeigt anhand von Fallstudien und Anwendungsbeispielen in der Automobilindustrie, daß SE und neue Produktentwicklungsverfahren auch in anderen Branchen Anwendung finden können. Ein topaktuelles und praxisorientiertes Buch, das sich von der breiten Masse der theoretischen Literatur abhebt. (y03/00)

Competitive edge in today's world markets can only be achieved by an integrated approach to manufacturing. Concurrent or Simultaneous Engineering offers the promise of a reduced product development cycle, using complex technologies to satisfy customer demand for high quality, competitively-priced products brought to market in minimum time. The CONSENS implementation of Concurrent/Simultaneous Engineering (CSE) is an integrated package developed over recent years by some of the leading manufacturers and research institutes in Europe. It is the product of the flagship EU research project into the use of IT in Manufacturing led by the Fraunhofer Institute in Stuttgart. In particular, this study describes the management of change, network organisation, CONSENS architecture and module integration, SiFrame Management Information System, design for CSE and industrial implementations of CONSENS.

This work offers a step-by-step approach to the overall concurrent engineering (CE) development process, presenting both fundamental principles and advanced concepts, while focusing on rapid product development and cost-effective designs. The book also provides an introduction to Cost Driven Design, with specific examples on how to minimize expenses by understanding the basis of product costs. The process of concurrent engineering is explained from initial planning to production start-up.

Concurrent Engineering Techniques and Applications reviews advances in concurrent engineering techniques and applications. An in-depth treatment of the quantitative and economic aspects of concurrent engineering is presented, with emphasis on techniques for measuring the performances of concurrent engineering and for comparing its economic effectiveness with that of traditional engineering. Open systems software standards in concurrent engineering are also discussed. Comprised of 12 chapters, this volume begins with an introduction to techniques for measuring the performances of concurrent engineering and for comparing its economic effectiveness with that of traditional engineering. The next chapter deals with open systems software standards and how to use open systems products effectively in concurrent engineering. The discussion then turns to concurrent product design and manufacturing; the essential issues involved in design-decision support in concurrent/simultaneous engineering; design for manufacturing and assembly and concurrent engineering in electro-optical systems; and the use of visualization in concurrent engineering. The use of multimedia presentation techniques and technology in the concurrent engineering process is also considered, along with techniques in technical documentation. This monograph will be useful to students, academicians, practicing professionals, and research workers.

By simultaneously examining the concerns of design, production, purchasing, finance, and marketing from the very first stages of product planning, concurrent engineering makes doing it right the first time the rule instead of the exception. This should be the first book managers read when they are ready to eliminate waste in the product development process.An introductory handbook, it gives managers 16 clear guidelines for achieving concurrent engineering and contains abundant case studies of Japanese, U.S., and European company success stories.The book also:Defines the concurrent engineering task force as a full-time, multidisciplinary unit of operation.Discusses the necessary interdependence of concurrent engineering, Quality Function Deployment, Total Quality Control, and CAD/CAM.Shows how concurrent engineering can be structured to fit your company and used to gain flexibility and efficiency.

In the 21st century, computer integrated manufacturing (CIM) systems will not only be the economic development tools but will also be the essential means of achieving a higher level of flexibility, cohesiveness and performance. CIM systems are beginning to settle into our society and industries, with greater emphasis on the integration of economic, cultural and social aspects together with design, planning, factory automation and artificial intelligent systems.This volume of proceedings brings together 10 keynote and invited speaker addresses, and over 180 papers by practitioners from 28 countries. It documents current research and in-depth studies on the fundamental aspects of advanced CIM systems and their practical applications. The papers fall into 3 main sections: CIM Related Issues; Industrial AI Applications Aspects; and Concurrent Engineering, Advanced Design, Simulation and Flexible Manufacturing Systems.