Reports NIST research and development in the physical and engineering sciences in which the Institute is active. These include physics, chemistry, engineering, mathematics, and computer sciences. Emphasis on measurement methodology and the basic technology underlying standardization.

This report surveys the scientific literature for all process monitoring techniques and identifies four types of measurements that show the most promise for on-line, real-time process monitoring. These are ultrasonics, dielectrics, optics, and spectroscopic methods. The four types are reviewed in depth and compared with each other in the areass of measurement speed, sampling volume, sensitivity to different resins, effects of fiber type, resistance to the manufacturing environment, interpretation of the data, adaptability for other uses, and temperature capabilties. In addition, brief reviews are provided on temperature and pressure sensors, and process modeling, since the future for on-line process control relies on developments in these areas as well. Industrial needs and opportunities, off-line measurement techniques, and major industrial and governmental programs on process control are commented upon.

Important new information on sensors, monitoring, prognosis, networking, and planning for safety and maintenance.

Improvements in process control, such as defined-accuracy instrumentation structures and computationally intelligent process modeling, enable advanced capabilities such as molecular manufacturing. High Performance Instrumentation and Automation demonstrates how systematizing the design of instrumentation and automation leads to higher performance through more homogeneous systems, which are frequently assisted by rule-based, fuzzy logic, and neural network process descriptions. Incorporate Advanced Performance Enhancements into Your Automation Enterprise The book illustrates generic common core process-to-control concurrent engineering linkages applied to a variety of laboratory and industry automation systems. It outlines: Product properties translated into realizable process variables Axiomatic decoupling of subprocess variables for improved robustness Production planner model-driven goal state execution In situ sensor and control structures for attenuating process disorder Apparatus tolerance design for minimizing process variabilities Production planner remodeling based on product features measurement for quality advancement Coverage also includes multisensor data fusion, high-performance computer I/O design guided by comprehensive error modeling, multiple sensor algorithmic error propagation, robotic axes volumetric accuracy, quantitative video digitization and reconstruction evaluation, and in situ process measurement methods. High Performance Instrumentation and Automation reflects the experience of engineer and author Patrick Garrett, including his role as co-principal investigator for an Air Force intelligent manufacturing initiative. You can download Analysis Suite.xls,, computer-aided design instrumentation software, available in the book's description on the CRC Press website.