We describe in this book, new methods for intelligent manufacturing
using soft computing techniques and fractal theory. Soft Computing (SC)
consists of several computing paradigms, including fuzzy logic, neural
networks, and genetic algorithms, which can be used to produce powerful
hybrid intelligent systems. Fractal theory provides us with the
mathematical tools to understand the geometrical complexity of natural
objects and can be used for identification and modeling purposes.
Combining SC techniques with fractal theory, we can take advantage of
the "intelligence" provided by the computer methods and also take
advantage of the descriptive power of the fractal mathematical tools.
Industrial manufacturing systems can be considered as non-linear
dynamical systems, and as a consequence can have highly complex dynamic
behaviors. For this reason, the need for computational intelligence in
these manufacturing systems has now been well recognized. We consider in
this book the concept of "intelligent manufacturing" as the application
of soft computing techniques and fractal theory for achieving the goals
of manufacturing, which are production planning and control, monitoring
and diagnosis of faults, and automated quality control. As a prelude, we
provide a brief overview of the existing methodologies in Soft
Computing. We then describe our own approach in dealing with the
problems in achieving intelligent manufacturing. Our particular point of
view is that to really achieve intelligent manufacturing in real-world
applications we need to use SC techniques and fractal theory.
