Carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) is one of the most commonly used materials in the aerospace industry today. CFRP in pre-impregnated form is an anisotropic material whose properties can be controlled to a high level by the designer. Sometimes, these properties make the material hard to predict with regards to how the geometry affects manufacturing aspects. This chapter describes 11 design rules that describe geometrical design choices and deals with manufacturability problems that are connected to them, why they are connected, and how they can be minimized or avoided. Examples of design choices dealt with in the rules include double curvature shapes, assembly of uncured CFRP components, and access for nondestructive testing.

The concept of Industry 4.0, or the Fourth Industrial Revolution, has the potential for radically increased system reconfigurability and flexibility. At its core, the notion of cyber-physical system, as the new generation of embedded systems with advanced artificial intelligence and improved communication capabilities, is seen as the key enabling concept that will render production activities more sustainable. The cyber-physical conceptualization dramatically reduces the integration effort by virtually eliminating the need, time, and cost for reprogramming. However, there are still important challenges that need to be addressed before one can start to design cyber-physical production systems consistently. These intertwine and are not as easily solvable as the popular science descriptions may suggest. This paper brings them forward and develops a critical comparative analysis between today’s automation solutions and their potential cyber-physical counterparts. The analysis considers the technical and conceptual challenges that are included in the process of migrating today’s, mostly bespoke, automation solutions to highly modularized, dynamic, and interactive cyber-physical production systems (CPPSs). In this context, this paper considers the interplay between form and function of industrial components, at the light of their cyber-physical formulation. At the same time, it addresses the system-level (de)composability and interaction design challenges that arise from the integration of modular CPPSs.

The overall aim of this paper is to draw combined, all-embracing conclusions based on a long-term multidisciplinary research programme on recycling centres in Sweden, focussing on working conditions, environment and system performance. A second aim is to give recommendations for their development of new and existing recycling centres and to discuss implications for the future design and organisation. Several opportunities for improvement of recycling centres were identified, such as design, layout, ease with which users could sort their waste, the work environment, conflicting needs and goals within the industry, and industrialisation. Combining all results from the research, which consisted of different disciplinary aspects, made it possible to analyse and elucidate their interrelations. Waste sorting quality was recognized as the most prominent improvement field in the recycling centre system. The research identified the importance of involving stakeholders with different perspectives when planning a recycling centre in order to get functionality and high performance. Practical proposals of how to plan and build recycling centres are given in a detailed checklist. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Within the aircraft industry, the use of composite materials such as carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRPs) is steadily increasing, especially in structural parts. Manufacturability needs to be considered in aircraft design to ensure a cost-effective manufacturing process. The aim of this paper is to describe the development of a new strategy for how SAAB Aerostructures addressing manufacturability issues during the development of airframe composite structures. Through literature review, benchmarking and company interviews, a design for manufacturing (DFM) strategy was developed. The strategy ensures that the important factors for successful DEM management are implemented on strategic, tactical and operational levels that contribute to a more cost-efficient product development process and aircraft design.

A challenging situation due to a more global market is the increasing need for production relocation. New product development with constant increasing competition challenges the ways to perform production start-up and production relocation. Product development processes focus in general on function of the product and to avoid product quality problems. Production relocation processes also focus on avoiding product quality problems, but problems that occur within production relocation are mostly related to forgotten or misunderstood information. In this paper, a literature review is performed investigating these three areas and relate them to industrial experience. Existing relocation processes are often based on processes for product development. There are several similarities between the production start-up in product development and product relocation since the same result is requested. However, the way to achieve the results can differ within the literature, within the paper are the differences and similarities discussed.

Scale-up of cell culture bioreactors is a challenging engineering work that requires wide competence in cell biology, mechanical engineering and bioprocess design. In this article, a new approach for cell culture bioreactor scale-up is suggested that is based on biomechatronic design methodology. The approach differs from traditional biochemical engineering methodology by applying a sequential design procedure where the needs of the users and alternative design solutions are systematically analysed. The procedure is based on the biological and technical functions of the scaled-up bioreactor that are derived in functional maps, concept generation charts and scoring and interaction matrices. Basic reactor engineering properties, such as mass and heat transfer and kinetics are integrated in the procedure. The methodology results in the generation of alternative design solutions that are thoroughly ranked with help of the user needs. Examples from monoclonal antibodies and recombinant protein production illuminate the steps of the procedure. The methodology provides engineering teams with additional tools that can significantly facilitate the design of new production methods for cell culture processes.

This cutting-edge guide on the fundamentals, theory, and applications of biomechatronic design principles.

Biomechatronic Design in Biotechnology presents a complete methodology of biomechatronics, an emerging variant of the mechatronics field that marries biology, electronics, and mechanics to create products where biological and biochemical, technical, human, management-and-goal, and information systems are combined and integrated in order to solve a mission that fulfills a human need. A biomechatronic product includes a biological, mechanical, and electronic part. Beginning with an overview of the fundamentals and theory behind biomechatronic technology, this book describes how general engineering design science theory can be applied when designing a technical system where biological species or components are integrated. Some research methods explored include schemes and matrices for analyzing the functionality of the designed products, ranking methods for screening and scoring the best design solutions, and structuring graphical tools for a thorough investigation of the subsystems and sub-functions of products. This insightful guide also:

• Discusses tools for creating shorter development times, thereby reducing the need for prototype testing and verification
• Presents case study-like examples of the technology used such as a surface plasmon resonance sensor and a robotic cell culturing system for human embryonic stem cells
• Provides an interdisciplinary and unifying approach of the many fields of engineering and biotechnology used in biomechatronic design

By combining designs between traditional electronic and mechanical subsystems and biological systems, this book demonstrates how biotechnology and bioengineering design can utilize and benefit from commonly used design tools-- and benefit humanity itself.

The research within this paper identifies three main categories of cross-cultural communication challenges within international transfer of aircraft production. The first category is organizational structure, hierarchy and delegation of responsibility the second category is consensus behavior and avoidance of conflicts and the third category is individual motivation factors. Furthermore, the paper discusses the need for specific types of cross-cultural training that can be one solution for reducing the problems and difficulties that cultural challenges may induce. The case study indicates that it is important for Aeronautics, a Swedish enterprise, to apply organized cross-cultural training in combination with technical training. To secure the presence of cross-cultural training, suitable types of cultural training could be included in the working process/routine for how to conduct a production transfer.

There has been increased focus on recycling in Sweden during recent years. This focus can be attributed to external environmental factors such as tougher legislation, but also to the potential gains for raw materials suppliers. Recycling centres are important components in the Swedish total recycling system. Recycling centres are manned facilities for waste collection where visitors can bring, sort and discard worn products as well as large-sized, hazardous, and electrical waste. The aim of this paper was to identify and describe the main flows and layout types at Swedish recycling centres. The aim was also to adapt and apply production theory for designing and managing recycling centre operations. More specifically, this means using lean production principles to help develop guidelines for recycling centre design and efficient control. Empirical data for this research was primarily collected through interviews and questionnaires among both visitors and employees at 16 Swedish recycling centres. Furthermore, adapted observation protocols have been used in order to explore visitor activities. There was also close collaboration with a local recycling centre company, which shared their layout experiences with the researchers in this project. The recycling centres studied had a variety of problems such as queues of visitors, overloading of material and improper sorting. The study shows that in order to decrease the problems, the recycling centres should be designed and managed according to lean production principles, i.e. through choosing more suitable layout choices with visible and linear flows, providing better visitor information, and providing suitable technical equipment. Improvements can be achieved through proper planning of the layout and control of the flow of vehicles, with the result of increased efficiency and capacity, shorter visits, and cleaner waste fractions. The benefits of a lean production mindset include increased visitor capacity, waste flexibility, improved sorting quality, shorter time for visits and improved working conditions.

In transfer of advanced industrial production in connection with offset business may not the selling organization be free to choose the most suitable subcontractor with respect to culture, organization, technical level etc. This paper discusses in specific Aeronautics (one of five business areas at Saab Group) and identifies different complications that can occur when different cultures meet during the transfer of production processes. The research is based on a case study utilizing interviews, observations and literature studies. Compilation and analysis of gathered empirical data indicates that many of the differences that emerge during transfer of production technology from Aeronautics to subcontractors in other countries can be exemplified by: -differences in hierarchal organization between different cultures, Swedes’ consensus behaviour and avoidance of conflicts and differences in individual motivation factors between cultures. All of these are considered from the perspective of different categories of employees such as; operators, engineers and management. For a successful transfer of production, the case study implies that important factors are; harmonization of production documentation between receiver and sender, and education of project team on receiving company’s culture before the production transfer is started.