Presents a top-down approach to the design, development, testing and recyclability of products, components and systems across a wide range of industries. Starting with the desired result and working back through the details, it shows how to produce goods, taking into account the challenges of actual manufacture, what the reliability requirements should be, quality control, associated costs, customer needs and more. Additional features include case studies and team negotiating. Also well-illustrated with figures, photographs, charts and tables and includes an extensive bibliography.

Andrew Kusiak is a highly respected authority on advanced manufacturing and Professor of Industrial Engineering at the University of Iowa. He is author of numerous books, including Concurrent Engineering and Intelligent Design and Manufacturing, both published by Wiley.