Digital manufacturing (DM) encompasses the manufacturing process, related technologies, customer demand, product design, and quality. This book defines DM as a science, presenting various theoretical systems of this science. It describes computing manufacturing, manufacturing informatics, intelligent manufacturing, and bionic manufacturing. It also describes various technologies and research trends related to DM science.

Chapter 1 introduces DM, DM science, and research in DM. It presents a diagram of concentric circles with DM in the central circle. The outer circles show how design, control, manufacturing, and management all center on DM. The chapter briefly describes the historical evolution of DM, and explains various concepts of the diagram and methods of research in DM science.

Chapter 2 establishes theory systems of DM science, which is defined here as multidisciplinary. The core of the theoretical basis includes computational manufacturing and manufacturing informatics. The chapter introduces various modeling theories such as integration definition (IDEF), graph with results and actions interrelated (GRAI), Petri nets, and object-oriented modeling, and describes various models of DM systems, such as basic architecture, organizational, function, information, and control. Chapter 3, on computing manufacturing, introduces theoretical aspects of manufacturing computing, such as computational geometry, combinatorial geometry, and convex analysis. It also describes computing manufacturing methodologies, including application of the configuration space theory, virtual prototyping, and the reverse engineering of products, and compares the discrete, information, and geometric models of computing manufacturing. Chapter 4, on manufacturing informatics, begins by introducing quality and self-assembling concepts in manufacturing information. It continues with various entropy-based measurement methods and the materialization basics of manufacturing information, which is defined as the transmission of information with the purpose of producing a product involving original manufacturing information. The synthesis of probabilistic type manufacturing information is discussed, along with integration methods of manufacturing information and the use of Extensible Markup Language (XML), database management systems (DBMSs), and electronic data interchange (EDI) as standards for sharing manufacturing information. This chapter ends with a discussion of security in manufacturing information.

Chapter 5 discusses general concepts of intelligent manufacturing systems, and introduces two proposed models for intelligent manufacturing systems, multiagent and holonic. The chapter also explains the concepts of information sensing, data mining, knowledge representation, knowledge reasoning, autonomy, self-learning, and adaptation with respect to intelligent manufacturing systems. Chapter 6, on bionic manufacturing, begins with a comparison of life processes and manufacturing processes. It introduces bionic machinery, recent development trends in such machinery, bionic robots, and the micro air vehicle. It also discusses architecture, and offers a list of research directions and implementation technologies for biological manufacturing.

Chapter 7 discusses management of technology (MOT) and considerations for developing a model for MOT, and presents such a model. It describes the research and development (R&D) system framework in detail. The description includes the R&D process model, technological ventures, and management of a collaborative mode of R&D. The chapter ends with a discussion of human-machine interaction management. Chapter 8 elaborates on key technologies of DM science, including devices, processing, maintenance, diagnosis, logistics, resource management, system management, and control. The chapter ends with a discussion of various product recognition and integration technologies, such as radio-frequency identification (RFID), bar code recognition, and electromechanical integration technologies. The last chapter (9) is devoted to future developments in DM science, such as micro nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) in DM, extreme manufacturing, environmental protection in DM, and remanufacturing engineering.

A background in computing systems, architectures, manufacturing, and basic mathematics is required to understand this book. It could serve as a textbook for a graduate- or undergraduate-level course in DM science. It could also be very useful for researchers looking to obtain foundational information on DM science. Its many block diagrams explain the concepts of DM science.