Intelligent Computation in Manufacturing Engineering - 4

The main scope of the Volume is to provide an international forum for the dissemination of up-to-date knowledge, information, experience and results, and for the review of progress and the discussion on the state-of-the-art and future trends in intelligent computing techniques in the various fields of manufacturing technology and systems. This Volume, like the three previous ones of 1998, 2000 and 2002, resulted from the activities of the Working Group on Applications of Artificial Intelligence Methods in Manufacturing Engineering, 1995-98, carried out within the Scientific-Technical Committee on Optimization (STC-O) of the International Institution of Production Engineering Research (CIRP). The Volume contains contributions by scientists from 20 countries and 4 continents. The topics dealt with range from manufacturing systems issues (production planning, scheduling, logistics, supply chain management, assembly, packaging, etc.) to production aspects (process planning, machining, forming, non traditional manufacturing, machine tools, robotics, inspection, quality control, materials characterization) to design subjects (tolerancing, reverse engineering, rapid manufacturing) and to innovative matters such as information technology and communication, e-business, and virtual reality. Although the approaches presented and the problems tackled are very diverse, one common aspect could be easily identified in the importance and centrality of competitiveness. Intelligent computing methods, paradigms and tools are developed and applied with the principal aim to make the manufacturing system, the fabrication technology, and the production procedure the more competitive.