Rapid Response Manufacturing: Contemporary Methodologies, Tools and Technologies

Citation

Tang, N.K.H. (1999), "Rapid Response Manufacturing: Contemporary Methodologies, Tools and Technologies", Integrated Manufacturing Systems, Vol. 10 No. 3, pp. 58-59. https://doi.org/10.1108/ims.1999.10.3.58.3

In the last decade, many new technologies have been developed for engineers to reduce the time required to design and manufacture products in response to rapidly fluctuating market demands. The technologies for rapid response manufacturing (RRM) involve research from a wide range of engineering and computer science areas. The current research and practice in RRM can be categorised into two major topics: desktop manufacturing technologies, and computer and information technologies. The 12 chapters in this book address a variety of contemporary methodologies, technologies and tools of these two major topics.

Desktop manufacturing provides design engineers with easy and economic tools to produce a prototype or even a functional part in reduce time. Basic desktop manufacturing includes desktop numerical control (NC) machining and solid freedom fabrication (SFF). Many research projects aimed at improving SFF processes are currently conducted at both academia and industrial companies world‐wide. Jee et al. present the research work on the development of the automated design of a three‐dimensional printed mushroom surface texture which will be used in a rapid prototyping (RP) process, 3D printing. Masood describes intelligent RP by first highlighting the nature of the problems with current RP systems and then discussing the configuration of the intelligent RP systems. Felloni et al. present an investigation of the surface features of RP parts. Dong et al. discuss a new RP technology by using fibre‐coupled high‐power laser diodes to sinter metal powders directly. Jack compares the use of solid freedom fabrication technologies and NC machining for RP.

Although many design tools are available, most of these tools are used for functionality assessment and there is no available manufacturability assessment tool or even an algorithm. In this book, Kamrani and Sferro present the use of group technologies combined with knowledge‐based systems for RRM. Bauer et al. describe the use of virtual prototyping technologies to aid the assessment of disassembly to put product life cycle concerns into the design stages. Caillaud and Noyes discuss the issues in fixture design from the point of view of CAD/CAM integration.

Another major issue with these design tools is that the transformation of data among CAD, CAE and CAM tools is difficult because most of the tools were developed separately. A standard data format for information transfer among design engineers and manufacturing engineers is very important. Jurren et al. describe the results from the RRM intramural project conducted at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) with specific emphasis on data standards for RRM. Draper discusses the human aspect of RRM. Finally, the last chapter by Burns provides a view of future technologies in RRM.

All authors have contributed greatly to this book. This book has served the purpose of presenting the best accomplishments of researchers and system developers in the areas of RRM. These chapters will provide readers with an overview of methodologies, tools and technologies for RRM, as well as an in‐depth exposure to the current research issues and proposed solutions. Some of the chapters are quite technical and readers will need to have a sound understanding of RRM technologies for understanding the applications. Overall, readers will benefit from this book by gaining theoretical and practical knowledge in the area of RRM.