The CIRP Encyclopedia covers the state-of-art of advanced technologies, methods and models for production, production engineering and logistics. While the technological and operational aspects are in the focus, economical aspects are addressed too. The entries for a wide variety of terms were reviewed by the CIRP-Community, representing the highest standards in research. Thus, the content is not only evaluated internationally on a high scientific level but also reflects very recent developments.
About the Author: CIRP is the world leading organization in production engineering research and is at the forefront of design, optimization, control and management of processes, machines and systems. The Academy has restricted membership based on demonstrated excellence in research and has some 550 academic and industrial members from 40 industrialized countries.
Luc Laperrière is a full-time professor in the mechanical engineering department of Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières since 1991. He received both his master's and Ph.D. degrees from McMaster University, Canada, in 1990 and 1992, respectively. He was also appointed Chair of his department from 2010 to 2013.
During a sabbatical in 1999, he developed a new and original continuous-discrete simulation software. This was done in collaboration with a commercial software distributor. The developed modules are now part of the basic version of a software that is distributed worldwide.
In 2005, he was leading a multidisciplinary engineering team responsible for the design and implementation of the Distributed Control System (DCS) of a fully operational pulp and paper mill with a complete paper machine in a new 11,000 qm building on campus, representing a total investment of 80 million Canadian dollars, 10 % of which came directly from industry. This DCS manages over 3,000 I/Os and 500 control loops and its flexibility is still unique worldwide.
In 2010, he became the Founding Director of the Laboratory of Mechanics and Eco-Materials (LMEM). He helped develop a new type of eco-composite material from a mix of long and short natural fibers that decreases the inherent variability of the final part properties.
He has filed two patents, published close to 100 papers in leading trade journals and international refereed conferences, and supervised over 40 master's and Ph.D. students.
Gunther Reinhart is full professor for Industrial Management and Assembly Technology and director of the iwb (Institute for Machine Tools and Industrial Management) at Technische Universität München. After studying mechanical engineering with the emphasis on design and development, he was research assistant at iwb from 1982 to 1988 with Prof. Dr. Joachim Milberg. During the last 2 years, he was in charge of the assembly automation department. After receiving his Ph.D. from Technische Universität München, Prof. Reinhart started his industrial career with the BMW Group, initially as head of the handling and welding engineering department and subsequently as director of the body paint shop. In 1993, he returned to university to become professor and director of the iwb.
From March 2002 to February 2007, Prof. Reinhart took a sabbatical from university to become a member of the executive board of IWKA Corporation, a large German supplier of engineering, robotics, and plant equipment with 13,000 employees worldwide. He was in charge of Technology and Market (CTO) focused on the discovery of new global market opportunities, the establishment of an internal auditing system, and the development of the IWKA packaging technology group.
In 2007, Prof. Reinhart returned to university and has served with Prof. Michael F. Zäh as co-director of the Institute for Machine Tools and Industrial Management (iwb) with more than 100 employees and two locations: Garching near Munich and Augsburg. He is also the chairman of the Bavarian Cluster for Mechatronics and Automation e.V. and since January 1, 2009, head of the Fraunhofer IWU research-department for Resource-Efficient Converting Machines (RMV).
Gunther Reinhart is member of multiple scientific societies and associations, e.g., acatech, WGMHI, CIRP, WGP, and WiGeP. He has approximately 300 publications in leading trade journals to his credit and is author or editor of ten books and two series. He has also supervised the research projects and the doctoral theses of some 100 research associates.
