Manufacturing and Maintenance

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue is focusing on the sustainability improvements that can be achieved by applying emerging digital technologies in through-life engineering services (TES). Sustainability is considered in terms of resource efficiency and effectiveness that can be derived in terms of usage of people, materials, parts, and energy.

TES are a set of capabilities, techniques, business thinking and network behaviours that, when applied to major assets, optimizes their value and cost (e.g., keeping major assets working better, for longer and more economically) (PAS 280). Major assets are generally understood to comprise complex engineered products, systems or system of-systems with an overall life measured in decades (e.g., 10 - 100+ years) and a need for significant in-use support investment.

Examples for emerging digital technologies include simulation, big data analytics, internet of things, virtual and augmented reality, autonomous robots, cyber security, and additive manufacturing. Many of these technologies still have significant challenges that need to be overcome in order to meet the potential performance and sustainability improvements. This Special Issue is focusing on solving such challenges by demonstrating new techniques, methods, and technologies that can produce enhanced sustainability within a TES context.

Dr. John Ahmet Erkoyuncu
Prof. Daniel Brissaud
Dr. Andreas Riel
Prof. Dr. Tomohiko Sakao
Guest Editors

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