Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Advances in Design

2006; Springer International Publishing; Linguagem: Inglês

10.1007/1-84628-210-1

2196-1735

Hoda ElMaraghy, Waguih ElMaraghy,

Engineering design encompasses a wide range of activities whose goal is to determine all attributes of a product before it is manufactured.Design research that produces a scientific foundation and helps in the development of new design methods and tools for consumer products as well as for the manufacturing systems that produce these products is a pre-requisite for industrial innovation.Engineering design research and practice, particularly using systematic and tested methodologies contribute to the industrial innovation of nations by reducing reliance on outdated methods in design practice.It is important to educate a new generation of engineering graduates knowledgeable of good design methods and practices while fostering and developing their creativity.As such design engineering is an enabler for competitive advantage that can fuel the engine of economic growth and wealth creation.A main theme of this book on Advances in Design emphasizes that the advances in computer technology and the exponential growth of the Internet have created opportunities for local and global communication which were never before possible.The book highlights contributions in the areas of design theories, principles and methodologies, their practical application, the development of computational tools to support distributed design and manufacturing and the whole product life cycle in a changing world.In the current globally integrated industrial environment it is important to highlight the need for a holistic approach that deals with the entire system, as well as its components.Improvements in individual disciplines/methods are necessary, but not sufficient to effect the improvements in products and processes needed in the future.System level synthesis, analysis, and optimization tools are required.Important aspects for the foreseeable future are advances in collaborative design tools and techniques, functional design knowledge, design synthesis, analysis and optimization, human aspects, system integration tools, design frameworks, information support systems and integration with manufacturing activities.Greater demand for product efficiency, reliability, quality, compactness, variety and customization combined with life-cycle considerations and lower time to market, less cost, and better utilization of energy and natural resources are needed.