The Handbook of Modern Manufacturing Techniques

As industrial competition increases, companies are increasingly using new manufacturing techniques in order to remain competitive. Among the many tools and processes used in advanced manufacturing firms today are Operator Empowerment; Total Quality Management; Quality Systems ISO 9000 and QS 9000; Total Productive Maintenance; Just-in-Time Production; Computer Simulation; Process Reengineering; Automation Technologies; and Project Management. In a fast-changing business environment, companies not familiar with these new techniques are in danger of falling dangerously behind in the race to achieve manufacturing excellence. The Handbook of Modern Manufacturing Techniques explains in detail the concepts and capabilities of each of the above techniques. The emphasis throughout the handbook is on the practical application of these new approaches, supported by numerous diagrams, tables and examples. Each chapter is a self-contained description of the various techniques and introduces the concepts through a series of steps: introduction, definition, suitability and analysis of the technique. The reader will thus gain a thorough and pragmatic understanding of these new processes and will be able to determine whether they are appropriate for their specific needs.