Concurrent Engineering in the 21st Century: Foundations, Developments and Challenges

Presenting the gradual evolution of the concept of Concurrent Engineering (CE), and the technical, social methods and tools that have been developed, including the many theoretical and practical challenges that still exist, this book serves to summarize the achievements and current challenges of CE and will give readers a comprehensive picture of CE as researched and practiced in different regions of the world.

Featuring in-depth analysis of complex real-life applications and experiences, this book demonstrates that Concurrent Engineering is used widely in many industries and that the same basic engineering principles can also be applied to new, emerging fields like sustainable mobility.

Designed to serve as a valuable reference to industry experts, managers, students, researchers, and software developers, this book is intended to serve as both an introduction to development and as an analysis of the novel approaches and techniques of CE, as well as being a compact reference for more experienced readers.

Dr. Josip Stjepandic is the Head of business unit 3D Product Creation at PROSTEP AG, the leading product data integration company worldwide. After receiving his grade as a M. Eng. from the University of Zagreb and his Ph.D. from the University of Technology of Graz, he has worked for two automotive suppliers in the areas engineering simulation and design methodology. From 1994 to 1996, he was Associated Professor for Applied Informatics in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Applied Sciences Dortmund. Since 1996, he has been in charge for consultancy and solution development at PROSTEP AG in the areas of design methodology, supplier integration, systems engineering, knowledge-based engineering, product data validation and visualization, configuration management and CAD data exchange for many industries (automotive, aerospace, shipbuilding, machinery). One of his most important contributions is the multiply awarded global supplier portal OpenDESC.com. His current research is focused on systems engineering, modular design, and digital factory.

Dr. Nel Wognum has received her Master Degree in Medical Informatics at Leiden University and her PhD in knowledge-based systems at University of Twente in The Netherlands. She has been an Assistant Professor in University of Twente, first in knowledge-based systems, later in organization and management studies. Her field of interest has since long been the interaction between various dimensions, disciplines, and functions, as in Concurrent Engineering. She was the President of ISPE from 2004 til 2006. Since 2007 she has worked as a researcher in Wageningen University in the Management Studies Group in the field of supply chain management in the food area. Concurrent Engineering principles are also applying to this field of study. She has authored and co-authored various publications in this field. Since the end of 2014, Nel Wognum is enjoying her retirement.

Dr. Wim Verhagen is an Assistant Professor at the section of Air Transport & Operations, Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, Delft University of Technology. He obtained his M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees at the same university. The focus of his early research has been on knowledge-based engineering systems in aircraft lifecycle processes. In recent years, Dr. Verhagen’s research has focused on aircraft maintenance research, including the development of Maintenance Information System (MIS) functionality using knowledge-based techniques. Furthermore, maintenance execution, spare parts management and logistics as well as maintenance scheduling optimization are specific topics of interest. He has authored and co-authored a range of publications in the fields of knowledge-based engineering systems and aircraft maintenance.