Comprehensive, detailed, and organized for speedyreference--everything you need to know about modern manufacturingtechnology. From concurrent engineering to fixture design formachining systems, from robotics and artificial intelligence tofacility layout planning and automated CAD-based inspection, thishandbook provides all the information you need to design, plan, andimplement a modern, efficient manufacturing system tailored to yourcompany's special needs and requirements. Handbook of Design,Manufacturing and Automation does more than simply present thecharacteristics and specifications of each technology--much more.Each technology is discussed both in terms of its own capabilitiesand in terms of its compatibility with other technologies, and thetrade-offs involved in choosing one option over another areexplored at length. An entire section is devoted to the businessaspects of converting to the new technologies, includingacquisition of automation, managing advanced manufacturingtechnology, and issues of cost and financing. The focus is onincorporating these technologies into a cohesive whole--anefficient, cost-effective manufacturing system. Other importanttopics include: * Design for automated manufacturing * Nontraditional manufacturing processes * Machine tool programming techniques and trends * Precision engineering and micromanufacturing * Computer-integrated product planning and control * Image processing for manufacturing * And much more