Manufacturing a product is not difficult, the difficulty consists in manufacturing a product of high quality, at a low cost and rapidly. Drastic technological advances are changing global markets very rapidly. In such conditions the ability to compete successfully must be based on innovative ideas and new products which has to be of high quality yet low in price. One way to achieve these objecti ves would be through massive investments in research of computer based technology and by applying the approaches presented in this book. The First International Conference on Advanced Manufacturing Systems and Technology AMST87 was held in Opatija (Croatia) in October 1987. The Second International Conference on Advanced Manufacturing Systems and Technology AMSV90 was held in Trento (Italy) in lune 1990. The Third, Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Conferences on Advanced Manufacturing Systems and Technology were all held in Udine (Italy) as follows: AMST93 in April 1993, AMST96 in September 1996, AMST99 in June 1999 and AMST02 in June 2002.

Manufacturing was once defined as the transformation of raw materials into goods--but not anymore! Just as the quality movement strives to achieve total customer satisfaction, so too must today's manufacturers if they want to prosper. This book demonstrates why manufacturers must focus on creating customer value and how this can secure a competitive edge. Readers will discover tools to build a supportive manufacturing strategy that can thrive in a competitive environment.

Multinational Enterprises and Host Country Development is a unique collection of papers looking at different aspects of the link between multinational enterprises and their effects on the host countries' economies. The volume studies effects of multinationals on R&D, innovation, productivity, wages, as well as growth and survival of firms in the host countries, and distinguishes direct and indirect effects through spillovers. All the analyses are conducted using firm level data for countries as diverse as China, Ireland, Sweden, Ghana, the UK or a group of countries in Central and Eastern Europe. This volume is a valuable reading for graduate students and researchers wishing to investigate the impact of multinationals.

Advanced Modeling and Optimization of Manufacturing Processes presents a comprehensive review of the latest international research and development trends in the modeling and optimization of manufacturing processes, with a focus on machining. It uses examples of various manufacturing processes to demonstrate advanced modeling and optimization techniques. Both basic and advanced concepts are presented for various manufacturing processes, mathematical models, traditional and non-traditional optimization techniques, and real case studies. The results of the application of the proposed methods are also covered and the book highlights the most useful modeling and optimization strategies for achieving best process performance. In addition to covering the advanced modeling, optimization and environmental aspects of machining processes, Advanced Modeling and Optimization of Manufacturing Processes also covers the latest technological advances, including rapid prototyping and tooling, micromachining, and nano-finishing. Advanced Modeling and Optimization of Manufacturing Processes is written for designers and manufacturing engineers who are responsible for the technical aspects of product realization, as it presents new models and optimization techniques to make their work easier, more efficient, and more effective. It is also a useful text for practitioners, researchers, and advanced students in mechanical, industrial, and manufacturing engineering.

While there is pressure (from buyers), inclination (within self to do better) and a heightened aspiration among apparel manufacturers to use Industrial Engineering (IE) like other more industrialized sectors, there is no specific book as such dealing with IE in relation to apparel manufacturing. The existing books that are already written on IE possess academic rigour and generic functions applicable across industries, thus making it difficult for the practitioners to refer and clear discrete doubts related to apparel manufacturing. Undoubtedly, work study is the centrepiece of Industrial Engineering; however apart from work study, industrial engineers in apparel industry are also supposed to perform various other functions like preparing operation breakdown and operation flow chart, selecting machine type and attachment and workaids, planning machine layout for maximizing unidirectional material movement, optimising inventory and storage space and maintaining workplace health and safety. These are some of the areas that often lack significant attention. This practitioner’s handbook is an amalgamation of theory and practices, including steps of implementation and common mistakes. A balanced approached is taken to make it equally meaningful and useful for the academics as well as the industry. A unique section titled “industry practices” is incorporated at the end of each chapter which shares the typical practices, constraints and benefits accrued by the industry, which will give meaningful insight to the readers and help them relate theory with actual practice.

This volume comprises the Proceedings of the Tenth National Conference on Manufacturing Research held at the University of Technology, Loughborough, UK, in September 1994, the latest in a series of meetings first convened in 1985, and the first to be published by Taylor & Francis Ltd.; Keith Case and Steven Newman, the Conference Chairs, the book c