Introduction to Manufacturing Systems

Introduction to Manufacturing Systems is written for all college- and university-level manufacturing, industrial technology, engineering technology, industrial design, engineering, business management and other related disciplines where there is an interest in learning about manufacturing systems as a complete system. Even lay people will find this book useful in their quest to learn more about the field. Its simple and easy-to-understand language makes it particularly useful to all readers. The field of manufacturing is a world of its own which bears on almost all other disciplines. This book is not necessarily a “how to” material that teaches one how to manufacture a product, but rather an aid to help learners gain a more complete understanding of “what is in it” and “what happens in the field”. Thus, this book will provide more comprehensive information about manufacturing. It is intended to introduce every interested person to what manufacturing is, its diverse components, and the various activities and tasks that are undertaken in its many and diverse departments. It should serve as an introductory material to beginning college manufacturing and related majors. Over the years, I have learned that most of these beginners are ill equipped with key aspects of manufacturing when they arrive. This group also includes all technical- and business-minded individuals who enroll or train in trade, business, engineering, vocational and technical programs and institutions. This book is divided into 12 very distinctive chapters that are closely arranged to follow manufacturing activities as sequentially as possible, to help readers follow a rather continuous thread of activities generally undertaken in the industry. Its chapters cover various topics including different types, techniques or methods, and philosophies of manufacturing; manufacturing plants and facilities; manufacturing machines; tools and production tooling; manufacturing processes; manufacturing materials and material handling systems; measurement instruments; manufacturing personnel; manufactured products; and planning, implementing, controlling and improving manufacturing systems.