Computer Applications in Production and Engineering: IFIP TC5 International Conference on Computer Applications in Production and Engineering (CAPE ’97) 5–7 November 1997, Detroit, Michigan, USA

In the latter half of the 20th century, forces have conspired to make the human community, at last, global. The easing of tensions between major nations, the expansion of trade to worldwide markets, widespread travel and cultural exchange, pervasive high-speed communications and automation, the explosion of knowledge, the streamlining of business, and the adoption of flexible methods have changed the face of manufacturing itself, and of research and education in manufacturing. The acceptance of the continuous improvement process as a means for organizations to respond quickly and effectively to swings in the global market has led to the demand for individuals educated in a broad range of cultural, organizational, and technical fields and capable of absorbing and adapting required knowledge and training throughout their careers. No longer will manufacturing research and education focus on an industrial sector or follow a national trend, but rather will aim at enabling international teams of companies to cooperate in rapidly designing, prototyping, and manufacturing products. The successful enterprise of the 21st century will be characterized by an organizational structure that efficiently responds to customer demands and changing global circumstances, a corporate culture that empowers employees at all levels and encourages constant communication among related groups, and a technological infrastructure that fully supports process improvement and integration. In changing itself to keep abreast of the broader transformation in manufacturing, the enterprise must look first at its organization and culture, and thereafter at supporting technologies.

Table of Contents:
1 Towards computer-aided rapid product realization.- 2 Enhancing life-cycle integration through the application of case-based reasoning to quality function deployment.- 3 A case study on CAD/CAM data transfer in CIM environment.- 4 The object-oriented modeling for product data management (PDM).- 5 Definition of numerical models for rapid product development.- 6 Impacts of data mining technology on product design and process planning.- 7 On the implementation of product model interfaces in CIME.- 8 A long-term planning approach for small-medium enterprise networks.- 9 Global supply chain integration.- 10 A platform to support production planning and management in a virtual enterprise.- 11 A Fuzzy approach for the globalization of production activities.- 12 Modeling to support a food industry in the extended enterprise.- 13 Utilizing real-time market demand information in the integration of the supply chain in the food industry.- 14 Multi-axis machining with additional-axis NC system.- 15 The validity of Z-map model for mold and die machining.- 16 Probabilistic approaches for estimating surface roughness in multi-pass horizontal grinding operations.- 17 Simulation study of the process parameters of a new precision grinding method.- 18 A computer model for tool management information system.- 19 A comprehensive modelling methodology for the development of manufacturing enterprise systems.- 20 Using IDEF0 to develop generic business process models.- 21 Process assessment method — an approach for business process development.- 22 Information transfers as a metric for engineering processes.- 23 Consequences of current organizational concepts on management control and design/production processes interactions.- 24 Machining feature generation based on a facility model andmanufacturing knowledge.- 25 Simulation of wires handling for the automation of industrial processes.- 26 Integration of reverse engineering and rapid prototyping with data reduction.- 27 Performance prediction of P/M electrodes in EDM using artificial neural network.- 28 Rapid manufacturing of dinnerware.- 29 Design issues of an integrated software workbench supporting the manufacturing systems design process.- 30 World wide simulation environment (WISE).- 31 A scenario simulation methodology for re-engineering potential assesment.- 32 Group technology: generation and selection of the best multi-criteria alternative.- 33 Reduction of cycle time in manufacturing using simulation.- 34 Experiments with a knowledge-based simulator and scheduler system.- 35 Inverse manufacturing: from products to services.- 36 Advances in measurement systems integration.- 37 Sensor-fusion methodology for reducing product quality variation.- 38 Evaluation of roughness of machined surfaces using vision system by phase shifting method.- 39 A novel method to create intelligent sensors with learning capabilities to improve modern production systems.- 40 Model and simulation based flexible production management system.- 41 Integration of process planning and production management.- 42 An approach for the evaluation of an integrated process and production planning and control system.- 43 Implementation of executive information systems around traditional manufacturing control system packages.- 44 An architecture for aggregating real and virtual models in manufacturing systems.- 45 Concurrent engineering applications in Mexico: two case studies.- 46 Parallel MRP system.- 47 The practical limits for J.I.T.- 48 Network middleware for enterprise enhanced operation.- 49 Improving construction information communications: a development framework.- 50 Multi-agent and manufacturing: a multilevel point of view.- 51 The application of integrated intelligent systems (IIS) to production scheduling.- 52 Simulation of embedded decision processes in manufacturing systems.- 53 An intelligent planning network for manufacturing systems management.- 54 An enterprise integration framework for manufacturing environments.- 55 IMAGIM+ a knowledge-based system for enterprise modelling.- 56 Modeling dynamic management features of virtual enterprises.- 57 An enterprise modeling and integration in Mexican manufacturing and service companies.- 58 VIRSIM: a methodology supported by integrated software for the re-engineering of the factories.- 59 Teaching engineering technology with the world wide web.- 60 Workforce implications for the virtual manufacturing environment.- 61 The relationship between competencies learned in manufacturing engineering programs and competencies represented in the CASA/SME enterprise wheel model.- 62 The european view on global enterprise computer applications in production and engineering.- 63 Information management in demand chain management — a global enterprise view.- 64 A real-time distributed multimedia virtual environment for collaborative engineering.- 65 Collaborative work using our virtual reality network system (VLNET).- Index of contributors.- Keyword index.