In this new edition of his widely-used Handbook, Frank Watts, widely recognized for his significant contributions to engineering change control processes, provides a thoroughly practical guide to the implementation and improvement of Engineering Documentation Control (EDC), Product Lifecycle Management and Product Configuration Management (CM). Successful and error-free implementation of EDC/CM is critical to world-class manufacturing. Huge amounts of time are wasted in most product manufacturing environments over EDC/CM issues such as interchangeability, document release and change control - resulting in faults, product release delays and overspends. This book is packed with specific methods that can be applied quickly and accurately to almost any industry and any product to control documentation, request changes to the product, implement changes and develop bills of material. The result is a powerful communications bridge between the engineering function and 'the rest of the world' that makes rapid changes in products and documentation possible. With the help of the simple techniques in the handbook, companies can gain and hold their competitive advantages in a world that demands flexibility and quick reflexes - and has no sympathy for delays. The new edition sets EDC/CM in the context of Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), providing guidance on choosing, purchasing and implementing PLM software systems. Watts guides the reader to harness these tools and techniques for business objectives including Process Improvement and time-to-market. It includes solid, pragmatic ideas for real product and process cost reduction. According to one reviewer: "most books focus on the basics without examining all facets of each process area or functional area. This may be good for quickly learning, but it will only take the reader so far. Mr. Watts imparts the same information, but invites the reader to think and to consider strengths and weaknesses of processes and procedures. The
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(1)With examples drawn from aerospace, electronics, household appliance, personal products, and automotive industries, Lean Assembly covers the engineering of assembly operations through:Characterizing the demand in terms of volume by product and product family, component consumption, seasonal variability and life cycle.Matching the physical structure of the shop floor to the demand with the goal of approaching takt-driven production as closely as possible.Working out the details of assembly tasks station by station, including station sizing, tooling, fixturing, operator instructions, part presentation, conveyance between stations, and the geometry of assembly lines as a whole.Incorporating mistake-proofing, successive inspection, and test operations for quality assurance.Lean Assembly differs from most other books on lean manufacturing in that it focuses on technical content as a driver for implementation methods. The emphasis is on exactly what should be done. This book should be the "dog-eared" and "penciled-in" resource on every assembly engineer's desk.
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