This interdisciplinary volume provides a critical and multi-disciplinary review of current manufacturing processes, practices, and policies, and broadens our understanding of production and innovation in the world economy. Chapters highlight how firms

Among studies of efficiency that have been conducted over the past three decades, Efficiency in U.S. Manufacturing Industries is unmatched in the breadth and depth of its coverage.

"In Praise of Hard Industries offers an authoritative and deeply disturbing counterargument to the many unexamined assumptions and glibly misstated facts that are driving our embrace of postindustrialism."--BOOK JACKET.

Biology and the Manufacturing Industries focuses on the appreciation of the role of biology in the operations of manufacturing industries. Divided into four parts with 18 chapters, the book contains the literature of various authors who have diligently conducted studies on the relationship of biology and the manufacturing industries. The discussions start with the industrial aspects of microbial food production, particularly focusing on the symba-yeast process, pest control, and the factors affecting continuous fermentation. The book also notes the impact of manufacturing industries on agriculture. The book considers the importance of biological factors to the design and operation of power stations, as well as the biological processes in the treatment and disposal of waste waters. This topic includes actions to be taken regarding microbiological problems as well as the conduct of research sponsored by the manufacturing industries. The discussions progresses to how sensory methods can solve flavor problems in the food industry. The toxicity of potential drugs is also given importance. Lastly, the role of biologists in the industries, as well as their role as industrial engineers, is emphasized. The book is a must for readers who are interested in exploring the role of biology in the manufacturing industries and other fields.

This practical reference/text provides a thorough overview of cost estimating as applied to various manufacturing industries, with special emphasis on metal manufacturing concerns. It presents examples and study problems illustrating potential applications and the techniques involved in estimating costs.;Containing both US and metric units for easy conversion of world-wide manufacturing data, Estimating and Costing for the Metal Manufacturing Industries: outlines professional societies and publications dealing with cost estimating and cost analysis; details the four basic metalworking processes - machining, casting, forming, and joining; reveals five techniques for capital cost estimating, including the new AACE International's Recommended Practice 16R-90 and the new knowledge and experience method; discusses the effect of scrap rates and operation costs upon unit costs; offers four formula methods for conceptual cost estimating and examines material-design-cost relationships; describes cost indexes, cost capacity factors, multiple-improvement curves, and facility cost estimation techniques; offers a generalized metal cutting economics model for comparison with traditional economic models; and more.;Estimating and Costing for the Metal Manufacturing Industries serves as an on-the-job, single-source reference for cost, manufacturing, and industrial engineers and as a text for upper-level undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate students in cost estimating, engineering economics, and production operations courses.;A Solutions manual to the end-of-chapter problems is available free of charge to instructors only. Requests for the manual must be made on official school stationery.