DEFINITION AND GENESIS OF THE TECHNOLOGICAL PROGRESS
Scientific progress as a basis for technological progress
Technological progress as a basis for economic development
Economic theory of innovations
EVOLUTION OF PRODUCTION SYSTEMS: FROM MECHANIZATION TO INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION
The birth of craftsmanship
The industrial revolution
Electricity and industrialization
Electronics and automatic process control
EVOLUTION OF PRODUCTION SYSTEMS: FROM FORDISM TO TOYOTA PRODUCTION SYSTEM
Fordism: rationality
Post-Fordism: flexibility
The Toyota production system: effectiveness
MAIN MANUFACTURING AND ASSEMBLY SYSTEMS
Production by process and production by parts
Manufacturing systems
Assembly systems
CHARACTERISTICS OF AUTOMATED PRODUCTIVE SYSTEMS
Historical aspects
Technical aspects of automation
Rigid, programmable and flexible automation
EQUIPMENTS FOR AUTOMATED PRODUCTIVE SYSTEMS
Numerical control machine tools
Industrial robots
Handling and storage systems
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES AND INTEGRATED PRODUCTION SYSTEMS
Introduction
Design and Engineering area (CAD Area)
Production area (CAM area)
Planning and production area (CAPP area)
CIM (Computer Integrated Manufacturing)
TOTAL QUALITY CONTROL
The concept of quality and its historical evolution
The contributions of Crosby, Juran and Deming
The Total Quality Control (TQC) methodology
The automation of quality control
Process control
The information system for total quality control
CLEANER TECHNOLOGIES
From control to pollution prevention
Cleaner Production
Industrial ecology
Cleaner technologies
BAT (Best Available Technics)
Advantages of cleaner technologies