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Project management--United States, New products--United States--Management, Production management--United States, and Manufacturing industries--United States--Case studies

U.S. manufacturing is today in a critical period. As a consequence of new global competitors, changes in technologies, and significant shifts in national priorities, our manufacturing base has shrunk alarmingly and thousands of manufacturing jobs have been lost. To address this problem, a unique team was formed called the Manufacturing Vision Group, which included members from five major companies (Chaparral Steel, DEC, Ford Motor Company, Hewlett-Packard, and Eastman Kodak) and four major universities (Harvard, MIT, Purdue, and Stanford). In The Perpetual Enterprise Machine, this group argues that the manufacturer that can initiate successful projects--leading to new products and processes--will be the one that prospers in the years ahead. They reveal how to launch a successful project and how projects can be mechanisms for growth and learning for the firm. The Perpetual Enterprise Machine outlines seven critical elements that outstanding development projects have in common, principles that can be powerful engines of success for the manufacturer facing the challenges of today's fiercely competitive environment. Successful firms are able to use their Core Capabilities across functions, to bring together disciplines and personnel crucial to the success of the program. They have a Guiding Vision, shared by all members of the project team, that helps coordinate the actions of workers with different skills and priorities. They Push the Performance Envelope, striving to make the improvements needed to cope with a rapidly changing competitive environment. They have Leadership, someone who can navigate uncertain terrain, who sees the project's essential elements and how they fit together. They instill the team with a sense of Ownership and Commitment, linking their personal success, status, and esteem to accomplishing project goals. They use Prototyping to learn rapidly and reduce mistakes. And they Integrate within Projects, approaching individual tasks in terms of a system-wide solution. Throughout the book, the authors illustrate these seven principles with real life case histories. We see the story behind Kodak's development of the FunSaver camera (done on a unique CAD/CAM system that greatly helped integration and shortened the lead time from design to production); Ford's 1991 Crown Victoria, the first project launched under their Concept-to-Customer system; Chaparral Steel's development of the world's first horizontal steel caster; and Hewlett-Packard's wildly successful DeskJet printer. The Perpetual Enterprise Machine delivers the insights of some of the top minds from industry and academia on one of the primary concerns of American business--how to revitalize our manufacturing industries. Visionary--yet engaging and immediately accessible--it gives managers the opportunity to profit from the trials and triumphs of five major corporations, and helps them shape the kinds of projects that will thrive and prosper in the years ahead.

Steel castings and Steel alloys

With particular emphasis on the ability of castings to meet customer requirements, this guide tells you what you need to know about physical properties and other pertinent information in the design and use of steel castings. It's been extensively revised from the previous edition to cover new areas like rapid prototyping techniques, recent developments in molding methods, and revamped descriptions of ASTM standards. You'll find an appendix listing ISO standards, too. The coverage on heat treatment has been greatly revised and expanded to give you a greater understanding of the principles involved in optimizing mechanical properties.

Engineering mathematics--Formulae--Handbooks, manuals, etc, Electronics--Tables, Electronics--Tables--Handbooks, manuals, etc, and Electronics--Mathematics--Handbooks, manuals, etc

Electronics Calculations Data Handbook is a unique handbook consisting of tables compiled as a labour-saving aid for electronics engineers, designers and technicians. The layout and content of these is designed to make them easy to use, and to contain the most valuable but tough to calculate information. Daniel McBrearty compiled this book as a result of bitter experience as an analog designer, initially prototyping and testing the ideas of other folk, and seeking to make those little changes that can make the difference between a good and really excellent circuit, and later doing the whole thing himself. If you don't know off the top of your head the best pair of E24 resistors to make an inverting op-amp stage of 18dB gain (and who does?) then this book will save you hours and protect your sanity in a world in which your calculator always goes missing, and you've forgotten the formula.All the key data needed by electronics designers, engineers and techniciansSaves on hours of needless number-crunchingMust-have information at a glance

Human-computer interaction

You don't need to be convinced. You know that usability is key to the success of any interactive system-from commercial software to B2B Web sites to handheld devices. But you need skills to make usability part of your product development equation. How will you assess your users'needs and preferences? How will you design effective solutions that are grounded in users'current practices? How will you evaluate and refine these designs to ensure a quality product? Usability Engineering: Scenario-Based Development of Human-Computer Interaction is a radical departure from traditional books that emphasize theory and address experts. This book focuses on the realities of product development, showing how user interaction scenarios can make usability practices an integral part of interactive system development. As you'll learn, usability engineering is not the application of inflexible rules; it's a process of analysis, prototyping, and problem solving in which you evaluate tradeoffs, make reasoned decisions, and maximize the overall value of your product.Written by prominent HCI educators who understand how to teach usability practices to students and professional developers.Interleaves HCI theory and concepts with a running case study demonstrating their application. Gradually elaborates the case study to introduce increasingly sophisticated usability engineering techniques.Analyzes usability issues in realistic scenarios that describe existing or envisioned systems from the perspective of one or more users.Emphasizes the real world of usability engineering-a world in which tradeoffs must be weighed and difficult decisions made to achieve desired results.

System design and Embedded computer systems

In this practical guide, experienced embedded engineer Lewin Edwards demonstrates faster, lower-cost methods for developing high-end embedded systems. With today's tight schedules and lower budgets, embedded designers are under greater pressure to deliver prototypes and system designs faster and cheaper. Edwards demonstrates how the use of the right tools and operating systems can make seemingly impossible deadlines possible. Designer's Guide to Embedded Systems Development shares many advanced, in-the-trenches design secrets to help engineers achieve better performance on the job. In particular, it covers many of the newer design tools supported by the GPL (GNU Public License) system. Code examples are given to provide concrete illustrations of tasks described in the text. The general procedures are applicable to many possible projects based on any 16/32-bit microcontroller. The book covers choosing the right architecture and development hardware to fit the project; choosing an operating system and developing a toolchain; evaluating software licenses and how they affect a project; step-by-step building instructions for gcc, binutils, gdb and newlib for the ARM7 core used in the case study project; prototyping techniques using a custom printed circuit board; debugging tips; and portability considerations.A wealth of practical tips, tricks and techniquesDesign better, faster and more cost-effectively

Human-computer interaction, User interfaces (Computer systems)--Testing, User interfaces (Computer systems)--Design, and Web sites--Design

Do you spend a lot of time during the design process wondering what users really need? Do you hate those endless meetings where you argue how the interface should work? Have you ever developed something that later had to be completely redesigned? Paper Prototyping can help. Written by a usability engineer with a long and successful paper prototyping history, this book is a practical, how-to guide that will prepare you to create and test paper prototypes of all kinds of user interfaces. You'll see how to simulate various kinds of interface elements and interactions. You'll learn about the practical aspects of paper prototyping, such as deciding when the technique is appropriate, scheduling the activities, and handling the skepticism of others in your organization. Numerous case studies and images throughout the book show you real world examples of paper prototyping at work. Learn how to use this powerful technique to develop products that are more useful, intuitive, efficient, and pleasing: • Save time and money - solve key problems before implementation begins • Get user feedback early - use it to focus the development process • Communicate better - involve development team members from a variety of disciplines • Be more creative - experiment with many ideas before committing to one•Enables designers to solve design problems before implementation begins •Five case studies provide real world examples of paper prototyping at work •Delves into the specifics of what types of projects paper prototyping is and isn't good for.

INTEL 8051 (Computer) and Digital control systems

The 8051 architecture developed by Intel has proved to be the most popular and enduring type of microcontroller, available from many manufacturers and widely used for industrial applications and embedded systems as well as being a versatile and economical option for design prototyping, educational use and other project work.In this book the authors introduce the fundamentals and capabilities of the 8051, then put them to use through practical exercises and project work. The result is a highly practical learning experience that will help a wide range of engineers and students to get through the steepest part of the learning curve and become proficient and productive designing with the 8051. The text is also supported by practical examples, summaries and knowledge-check questions.The latest developments in the 8051 family are also covered in this book, with chapters covering flash memory devices and 16-bit microcontrollers.Dave Calcutt, Fred Cowan and Hassan Parchizadeh are all experienced authors and lecturers at the University of Portsmouth, UK.Increase design productivity quickly with 8051 family microcontrollersUnlock the potential of the latest 8051 technology: flash memory devices and16-bit chipsSelf-paced learning for electronic designers, technicians and students

Programmable controllers and Microprocessors--Programming

The use of microcontroller based solutions to everyday design problems in electronics, is the most important development in the field since the introduction of the microprocessor itself. The PIC family is established as the number one microcontroller at an introductory level.Assuming no prior knowledge of microprocessors, Martin Bates provides a comprehensive introduction to microprocessor systems and applications covering all the basic principles of microelectronics.Using the latest Windows development software MPLAB, the author goes on to introduce microelectronic systems through the most popular PIC devices currently used for project work, both in schools and colleges, as well as undergraduate university courses. Students of introductory level microelectronics, including microprocessor / microcontroller systems courses, introductory embedded systems design and control electronics, will find this highly illustrated text covers all their requirements for working with the PIC.Part A covers the essential principles, concentrating on a systems approach. The PIC itself is covered in Part B, step by step, leading to demonstration programmes using labels, subroutines, timer and interrupts. Part C then shows how applications may be developed using the latest Windows software, and some hardware prototyping methods.The new edition is suitable for a range of students and PIC enthusiasts, from beginner to first and second year undergraduate level. In the UK, the book is of specific relevance to AVCE, as well as BTEC National and Higher National programmes in electronic engineering.· A comprehensive introductory text in microelectronic systems, written round the leading chip for project work· Uses the latest Windows development software, MPLAB, and the most popular types of PIC, for accessible and low-cost practical work· Focuses on the 16F84 as the starting point for introducing the basic architecture of the PIC, but also covers newer chips in the 16F8X range, and 8-pin mini-PICs

Creative ability in business, Technological innovations, Information technology, and Research, Industrial

The innovation process is the most important of all business processes. Innovation is the means by which value is constructed and efficiencies are created. It is the source of sustainable competitive advantage. This book shows how the innovation process is changing profoundly. Part of the change results from the application of new technologies to the innovation process itself. A new category of technology has emerged which we call'innovation technology'. This includes simulation and modelling, visualization, and rapid prototyping technologies. When used effectively, innovation technology makes the innovation process more economical and ameliorates some of its uncertainties. These technological changes are accompanied by changing organization structures and skills requirements. The technologies are used in fast moving, creative environments and are suited to project-based organization. They also require the development of new'craft'skills to realize the possibilities created by the new'code'. The book outlines a new way of thinking about innovation. Traditional definitions of'research','development'and'engineering', imply a progressive linearity which doesn't exist in reality. They are also associated with organizational departments, which are breaking down where once they existed, and are in any case non-existent in the vast majority of firms. They also fail to capture the central importance of design in innovation. We propose a new schema for the innovation process: Think, Play, Do. Innovation requires creating new ideas and thinking about new options, playing with them to see if they are practical, economical and marketable, and then doing: making the innovation real. This new schema captures the emerging innovation process using a more contemporary idiom. The book reports in-depth studies from a number of companies and sectors. Major case studies of Procter and Gamble and Arup Partners are presented. It reports on the use of innovation technology in a range of other companies and organizations, from pharmaceuticals in GSK, to engineering design in Ricardo engineering, and welding in TWI. We describe how innovation technology is used in traditional industries, such as in mining, and in public projects, such as the development of London's traffic congestion charge and the stabilization of the leaning tower of Pisa.

Mathematical statistics--Computer simulation and Probabilities--Computer simulation

Probability & Statistics with Integrated Software Routines is a calculus-based treatment of probability concurrent with and integrated with statistics through interactive, tailored software applications designed to enhance the phenomena of probability and statistics. The software programs make the book unique.The book comes with a CD containing the interactive software leading to the Statistical Genie. The student can issue commands repeatedly while making parameter changes to observe the effects. Computer programming is an excellent skill for problem solvers, involving design, prototyping, data gathering, testing, redesign, validating, etc, all wrapped up in the scientific method.See also: CD to accompany Probability and Stats with Integrated Software Routines (0123694698)• Incorporates more than 1,000 engaging problems with answers• Includes more than 300 solved examples• Uses varied problem solving methods

Digital electronics--Computer-aided design, Field programmable gate arrays, and Rapid prototyping

The push to move products to market as quickly and cheaply as possible is fiercer than ever, and accordingly, engineers are always looking for new ways to provide their companies with the edge over the competition. Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), which are faster, denser, and more cost-effective than traditional programmable logic devices (PLDs), are quickly becoming one of the most widespread tools that embedded engineers can utilize in order to gain that needed edge. FPGAs are especially popular for prototyping designs, due to their superior speed and efficiency. This book hones in on that rapid prototyping aspect of FPGA use, showing designers exactly how they can cut time off production cycles and save their companies money drained by costly mistakes, via prototyping designs with FPGAs first. Reading it will take a designer with a basic knowledge of implementing FPGAs to the “next-level of FPGA use because unlike broad beginner books on FPGAs, this book presents the required design skills in a focused, practical, example-oriented manner.In-the-trenches expert authors assure the most applicable advice to practicing engineersDual focus on successfully making critical decisions and avoiding common pitfalls appeals to engineers pressured for speed and perfectionHardware and software are both covered, in order to address the growing trend toward'cross-pollination'of engineering expertise

Human-computer interaction

A pioneer in interaction design tells the stories of designers who changed the way people use everyday things in the digital era, interviewing the founders of Google, the creator of The Sims, the inventors and developers of the mouse and the desktop, and many others.Digital technology has changed the way we interact with everything from the games we play to the tools we use at work. Designers of digital technology products no longer regard their job as designing a physical object—beautiful or utilitarian—but as designing our interactions with it. In Designing Interactions, award-winning designer Bill Moggridge introduces us to forty influential designers who have shaped our interaction with technology. Moggridge, designer of the first laptop computer (the GRiD Compass, 1981) and a founder of the design firm IDEO, tells us these stories from an industry insider's viewpoint, tracing the evolution of ideas from inspiration to outcome. The innovators he interviews—including Will Wright, creator of The Sims, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, the founders of Google, and Doug Engelbart, Bill Atkinson, and others involved in the invention and development of the mouse and the desktop—have been instrumental in making a difference in the design of interactions. Their stories chart the history of entrepreneurial design development for technology.Moggridge and his interviewees discuss such questions as why a personal computer has a window in a desktop, what made Palm's handheld organizers so successful, what turns a game into a hobby, why Google is the search engine of choice, and why 30 million people in Japan choose the i-mode service for their cell phones. And Moggridge tells the story of his own design process and explains the focus on people and prototypes that has been successful at IDEO—how the needs and desires of people can inspire innovative designs and how prototyping methods are evolving for the design of digital technology.Designing Interactions is illustrated with more than 700 images, with color throughout. Accompanying the book is a DVD that contains segments from all the interviews intercut with examples of the interactions under discussion.Interviews with:Bill Atkinson, Durrell Bishop, Brendan Boyle, Dennis Boyle, Paul Bradley, Duane Bray, Sergey Brin, Stu Card, Gillian Crampton Smith, Chris Downs, Tony Dunne, John Ellenby, Doug Englebart, Jane Fulton Suri, Bill Gaver, Bing Gordon, Rob Haitani, Jeff Hawkins, Matt Hunter, Hiroshi Ishii, Bert Keely, David Kelley, Rikako Kojima, Brenda Laurel, David Liddle, Lavrans Løvlie, John Maeda, Paul Mercer, Tim Mott, Joy Mountford, Takeshi Natsuno, Larry Page, Mark Podlaseck, Fiona Raby, Cordell Ratzlaff, Ben Reason, Jun Rekimoto, Steve Rogers, Fran Samalionis, Larry Tesler, Bill Verplank, Terry Winograd, Will Wright

Computer software--Development

Effective Prototyping for Software Makers is a practical, informative resource that will help anyone—whether or not one has artistic talent, access to special tools, or programming ability—to use good prototyping style, methods, and tools to build prototypes and manage for effective prototyping. This book features a prototyping process with guidelines, templates, and worksheets; overviews and step-by-step guides for nine common prototyping techniques; an introduction with step-by-step guidelines to a variety of prototyping tools that do not require advanced artistic skills; templates and other resources used in the book available on the Web for reuse; clearly-explained concepts and guidelines; and full-color illustrations and examples from a wide variety of prototyping processes, methods, and tools. This book is an ideal resource for usability professionals and interaction designers; software developers, web application designers, web designers, information architects, information and industrial designers.• A prototyping process with guidelines, templates, and worksheets;• Overviews and step-by-step guides for 9 common prototyping techniques;• An introduction with step-by-step guidelines to a variety of prototyping tools that do not require advanced artistic skills;• Templates and other resources used in the book available on the Web for reuse;• Clearly-explained concepts and guidelines;• Full-color illustrations, and examples from a wide variety of prototyping processes, methods, and tools. • www.mkp.com/prototyping

Cell phones--Programming, Nokia smartphones, and Python (Computer program language)

Mobile Python is the introduction of Python programming language to the mobile space. This practical hands-on book teaches readers how to realize their application ideas on the Symbian OS. Programming on the Symbian mobile platform has been difficult and time consuming in the past. This innovative new title will remedy this problem. Chapters deal with topics that are based on Python S60 features and presented in an order that lets the user learn first the “simple to code” ones and then increasing in complexity.

Industrial design

Sketching User Experiences approaches design and design thinking as something distinct that needs to be better understood—by both designers and the people with whom they need to work— in order to achieve success with new products and systems. So while the focus is on design, the approach is holistic. Hence, the book speaks to designers, usability specialists, the HCI community, product managers, and business executives. There is an emphasis on balancing the back-end concern with usability and engineering excellence (getting the design right) with an up-front investment in sketching and ideation (getting the right design). Overall, the objective is to build the notion of informed design: molding emerging technology into a form that serves our society and reflects its values. Grounded in both practice and scientific research, Bill Buxton's engaging work aims to spark the imagination while encouraging the use of new techniques, breathing new life into user experience design.Covers sketching and early prototyping design methods suitable for dynamic product capabilities: cell phones that communicate with each other and other embedded systems,'smart'appliances, and things you only imagine in your dreamsThorough coverage of the design sketching method which helps easily build experience prototypes—without the effort of engineering prototypes which are difficult to abandonReaches out to a range of designers, including user interface designers, industrial designers, software engineers, usability engineers, product managers, and othersFull of case studies, examples, exercises, and projects, and access to video clips that demonstrate the principles and methods

Python (Computer program language), Perl (Computer program language), Object-oriented programming (Computer science), and Scripting languages (Computer science)

Object-Oriented scripting with Perl and Python Scripting languages are becoming increasingly important for software development. These higher-level languages, with their built-in easy-to-use data structures are convenient for programmers to use as'glue'languages for assembling multi-language applications and for quick prototyping of software architectures. Scripting languages are also used extensively in Web-based applications. Based on the same overall philosophy that made Programming with Objects such a wide success, Scripting with Objects takes a novel dual-language approach to learning advanced scripting with Perl and Python, the dominant languages of the genre. This method of comparing basic syntax and writing application-level scripts is designed to give readers a more comprehensive and expansive perspective on the subject. Beginning with an overview of the importance of scripting languages—and how they differ from mainstream systems programming languages—the book explores: Regular expressions for string processing The notion of a class in Perl and Python Inheritance and polymorphism in Perl and Python Handling exceptions Abstract classes and methods in Perl and Python Weak references for memory management Scripting for graphical user interfaces Multithreaded scripting Scripting for network programming Interacting with databases Processing XML with Perl and Python This book serves as an excellent textbook for a one-semester undergraduate course on advanced scripting in which the students have some prior experience using Perl and Python, or for a two-semester course for students who will be experiencing scripting for the first time. Scripting with Objects is also an ideal resource for industry professionals who are making the transition from Perl to Python, or vice versa.

Insurgency--Prevention--Technological innovations and Terrorism--Prevention--Technological innovations

The U.S. military forces currently face a nontraditional threat from insurgents and terrorists who primarily employ improvised explosive devices, and have shown a cycle of adaptation of less than 12 months to responses by U.S. forces to counter these attacks. This constantly evolving threat requires U.S. military forces to adapt and respond more rapidly with modified tactics, technologies, and/or equipment. In response to this need for new technologies, the Rapid Reaction Technology Office (RRTO) was established in 2006 to develop technologies that can mature in 6 to 18 months for purposes of counterterrorism. Although RRTO appears to be successfully fulfilling its mission, the agency seeks to understand and address barriers to and opportunities for meeting future counterterrorism needs--including the need to accelerate the transition of technologies for counterterrorism with an eye to countering emerging and anticipated threats. This book reviews RRTO approaches and provides a set of recommendations for potential improvements to help meet these needs for rapid technology development.

Lasers--Industrial applications and Materials science

Coverage of the most recent advancements and applications in laser materials processing This book provides state-of-the-art coverage of the field of laser materials processing, from fundamentals to applications to the latest research topics. The content is divided into three succinct parts: Principles of laser engineering-an introduction to the basic concepts and characteristics of lasers, design of their components, and beam delivery Engineering background&-a review of engineering concepts needed to analyze different processes: thermal analysis and fluid flow; solidification of molten metal; and residual stresses that evolve during processes Laser materials processing-a rigorous and detailed treatment of laser materials processing and its principle applications, including laser cutting and drilling, welding, surface modification, laser forming, and rapid prototyping Each chapter includes an outline, summary, and example sets to help readers reinforce their understanding of the material. This book is designed to prepare graduate students who will be entering industry; researchers interested in initiating a research program; and practicing engineers who need to stay abreast of the latest developments in this rapidly evolving field.

Virtual computer systems, Prototypes, Engineering, and Rapid prototyping

This book offers a quick overview of the most cutting-edge uses of the computer in engineering design,'virtual testing,'and'virtual applications.'Readers will find clearly illustrated, well-documented case examples that help to bring the abstractions of computer simulation to meaningful practical reality. Contributing authors from a wide variety of engineering disciplines-from both academia and industry- bring a full perspective to what is new in the use of computer-based engineering design. Readers will find: --'New case studies on Virtual Prototyping, Virtual Reality training systems for Industrial maintenance, and virtual design for biomedical applications --'Breaking new developments on using touch-based computer tools like the'virtual movement'glove --'A novel study on use of Virtual Engineering for globally dispersed engineering teams on collaborative projects

Industrial design

Design Research Through Practice: From the Lab, Field, and Showroom focuses on one type of contemporary design research known as constructive design research. It looks at three approaches to constructive design research: Lab, Field, and Showroom. The book shows how theory, research practice, and the social environment create commonalities between these approaches. It illustrates how one can successfully integrate design and research based on work carried out in industrial design and interaction design. The book begins with an overview of the rise of constructive design research, as well as constructive research programs and methodologies. It then describes the logic of studying design in the laboratory, design ethnography and field work, and the origins of the Showroom and its foundation on art and design rather than on science or the social sciences. It also discusses the theoretical background of constructive design research, along with modeling and prototyping of design items. Finally, it considers recent work in Lab that focuses on action and the body instead of thinking and knowing. Many kinds of designers and people interested in design will find this book extremely helpful. Gathers design research experts from traditional lab science, social science, art, industrial design, UX and HCI to lend tested practices and how they can be used in a variety of design projectsProvides a multidisciplinary story of the whole design process, with proven and teachable techniques that can solve both academic and practical problemsPresents key examples illustrating how research is applied and vignettes summarizing the key how-to details of specific projects