Abstract
To realize effective product manufacturing, the following key challenges must be met: (1) Optimum design solutions, rather than simply improvements of existing designs, should be searched for, or else survival in competitive environments that require superior product performance and quality along with lower manufacturing costs will be problematic, (2) To establish product manufacturing infrastructure that supports responsible modern living, optimum design solutions must consider a comprehensive range of factors such as product performance and quality, manufacturing cost, safety, environmental and resource impact at all stages, from raw material acquisition to final disposal, ergonomics, the emotional satisfaction of people, and so on, and (3) To generate new products that improve the comfort and quality of our lives, design systems that support these efforts should be constructed. The roles that optimization techniques play, and the fundamental procedures employed to achieve the above challenges are discussed in this article.
