Visionary Manufacturing Challenges For 2020

This book takes an international view of future manufacturing that considers the leaps and bounds of technological innovation and the blurring of the lines between the manufacturing and service industries. The authors identify 10 strategic technology areas as the most important for research and development - and they recommend ways to address crosscutting questions.

Representing a variety of industries, the authors identify six "grand challenges" that must be overcome for their vision to be realized, including the human/technology interface, environmental concerns, and miniaturization. The information and analyses in this book will be vitally important to everyone concerned about the future of manufacturing: policy makers, executives, design and engineering professionals, researchers, faculty, and students.