Book review

Citation

(2008), "Book review", Assembly Automation, Vol. 28 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/aa.2008.03328aae.001

Book review

Precision Assembly Technologies for Mini and Micro Products - Proceedings of the IFIP TC5 WG5.5 Third International Precision Assembly Seminar (IPAS'2006), February 19-21, 2006, Bad Hofgastein, Austria

Svetan RatchevSpringer 2006ISBN 978-0-387-31276-7$149www.springer.com/west/home/computer/artificial?SGWID=4-147-22-118100125-0

First of all I have to mention that I might be slightly wrong and biased person to review this book, because there is my article in the book (p. 75). Also head of our research group, Professor Reijo Tuokko belongs to the International Advisory Committee of IPAS2006 seminar.

Review

This book consists of papers presented in The International Precision Assembly Seminar (IPAS 2006). This third time organized seminar concentrates especially on Precision Assembly Technologies for Mini and Micro Products. Typically books like these, proceedings of the international seminars, give good overviews of the state-of-the-art in their specific areas. These kinds of books are not suitable for basic theory studies. The problem for books like this is that the time when they are relevant is relatively short, because researchers are continuing their works and they go on publishing newer results when they have something to report. One can even say that this book is old in many respects at the latest on February 2008 when fourth IPAS Seminar will be organized.

Mini and micro assembly is a large field of technology including several aspects, which all are necessary and important. In this sense, structuring this book is challenging, but editors have managed very well. Articles are divided into six parts including, for example, economic aspects of microassembly, and robot applications for precision assembly. The book also includes a short preface, author index and a keyword index. The recommended price 136.96 (net price e128) could be too high for this book. The quality of the figures in the book is very poor and it is not acceptable for a hard cover book whose price is at this level.

If the cost is no problem, the book can be recommended in a situation where somebody somehow knows that there was an interesting and important presentation about his or her study or work field in IPAS2006 Seminar, and wants to get more information about that. Second, in IPAS2006 Seminar many high-valued research units presented their latest works. The book can be also recommended if somebody wants to get state-of-the-art information on this technology field.

Ilpo Karjalainen