Rapid Product Development: Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Production Engineering (8th ICPE) Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan, August 10-20, 1997

This book is the proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Production Engineering (ICPE), where the main subject is Rapid Product Development (RPD). RPD is a spectrum of integrated activities ranging from initial requirements through R&D, design, simulation, modelling, analysis, prototyping, testing, production, deployment, training, maintenance and repair, disposal and recycling, along with many other intermediate and supporting elements such as quality, reliability, security, information integration and supporting infrastructures. This term distinguishes leading edge manufacturing technologies, processes, information systems and management practices from their more conventional predecessors in traditional manufacturing systems.