e-Engineering and digital enterprise technology are becoming the catalysts and prime enablers for the most radical changes in industry since the industrial revolution. Advances in e-Engineering and Digital Enterprise Technology includes international papers from experts and practitioners in industry and academia providing an information exchange on all aspects of engineering and management. Providing significant contributions from practitioners , researchers, educators, and end-users, the reader will find information on the latest innovations and techniques, including, e-Engineering systems e-supply chains and e-logistics Web based CAD/CAM/CAPP Virtual and collaborative engineering Web based modelling and simulations Mass customization and customer driven  engineering Tele-operation and tele-robotics. On-line education and industrial training Vital reading for leading-edge system developers, researchers,  innovators, and early adopters within industry, government, and academia who are in search of excellence.

Table of Contents:
Preface xvii; Keynote Paper; Digital enterprise technology in production networks; P G Maropoulos, D G Bramall, P Chapman, W M Cheung, K R McKay, and B C Rogers 3; e-Design and e-Manufacturing; Internet-based, end-user design and e-manufacture; R J Bateman and K Cheng 15; MATLAB-based e-design for aerostatic journal bearings; S-J Chen, B-B Yao, and P Shi 25; Internet-based optimization of machining process; L Dong, C Fan, and Y Zhao 33; atcPORTAL - a generic and extensible distributed agent-based portal for analytical target cascading in optimal design of complex systems; G Q Huang 43; e2-MES - an e-service-driven networked manufacturing platform for extended enterprises; P Jiang, G Zhou, G Zhao, Y Zhang, and H Sun 59; Implementation perspectives of design re-use through global manufacturing; L Li, D K Harrison, J S Lynn, and K Cheng 73; Applying Internet technologies to manufacturing SMEs in the UK North East region - barriers and opportunities; R Marasini, K Ions, I Hamilton, and M Ahmad 83; Components of design for the superplastic forming process; G McCormick, P Broomhead, J Kulon, and D J Mynors 93; Building a web-based coupling quotation system in mechanical engineering; M Riaz and J Lu 103; A study on universal electronic table of product commonality-orientated design and its system development; R Li, T Zou, and S Zhang 113; Research on information models to support fixture design fixture assembly processes; S Li 119; 'Subdivision projection method' for detecting gouging interference in three-axis NC machining; Y S Yang, H R Shen, W Dong, and J Zhang 127; e-Supply Chain Management, e-Logistics, and Mass Customization; Table retrieve on the Internet for supply-chain management supplier searching; J Chen, M H Wu, and P Barber 139; A mixed integer programming model for integrating MRP and job shop scheduling; K J Chen and P Ji 145; Buyer-oriented collaboration and stimulation of electronics SCM; Z Jiang, X Feng, X Zong, J Shi, and H Wang 151; The implementation and evaluation of a 'micro' supply chain management system in a medium-sized UK manufacturer; A Jones, J Robinson, B O'Toole, and D Webb 159; The electronic-enabling of product specifications for the digital environment of the automotive supply chain; C Kerr, R Roy, and P Sackett 171; Dynamic planning with a wireless product identification technology in food supply chains; D Li, D Kehoe, and P Drake 179; Customer-oriented supply chain management practices in Pearl River Delta - a preliminary study; V H Y Lo, D Sculli, and A H W Yeung 189; Research on the method of multi-level fuzzy evaluation for performance of logistic centre processing; X-L Wang, Y Zhang, and Z-C Chen 199; Information systems capabilities influencing partnership integration within supply chain management - an empirical study; E A Williamson, M Jordan, and D K Harrison 207; Research on mass customization of MIS software based on common business application templates warehouse; X-Y Zhu 219; Web-based CAD/CAM/CAPP/PDM; The development of a web-accessible databank of material behaviour characteristics for use in virtual design environments; P Broomhead, J Kulon, R J Grieve, and D J Mynors 229; A study and development of PDM system based on visual studio.NET; Y Hou, S Lin, Y Lv, and H Ouyang 237; Applying knowledge-based engineering to traditional manufacturing design; J Kulon, P Broomhead, and D J Mynors 245; An integrated software framework for synchronizing internal business functions of a ship-repair yard; G Chryssolouris, S Makris, N Papakostas, and D Mourtzis 255; Business barriers to the e-sourcing and re-use of mechanical components; H J Rea, J R Corney, D E R Clark, and N K Taylor 265; Product life-cycle management - an essential component for agile manufacturing; K K Pusthay and Z Wang 275; A pragmatic system to support interactive assembly planning and training in immersive virtual environment (I-VAPTS); Y X Yao, P J Xia, J S Liu, and J G Li 285; Virtual and Collaborative Engineering; Fragmentary collaboration in a virtual world - the educational possibilities of multi-user, three-dimensional worlds; R England and I Gibson 299; A web-based system for collaborative electro-acoustic composition; I Gibson and M Dovey 305; Co-operative design based on multi-agent system; C Hua, L Chao, C Yan, Z Rujia, and Q Xu 315; A co-operative software environment for planning and controlling ship-repair contracts; G Chryssolouris, S Makris, N Papakostas, and V Xanthakis 321; A methodology for agile partner selection; J Ren, Y Y Yusuf, and N D Burns 331; Virtuality-based understanding scheme (VirUS) - a holistic typecast supporting research and behaviour-oriented management of virtual teams; C Schmidt, B K Temple, A McCready, J Newman, and S C Kinzler 343; Web-based Modelling and Simulations; A virtual environment approach for planning implant placement; T Ito 355; Robustness and reliability of manufacturing a pulley in a virtual environment; X Liu, M Daniels, and B Shirvani 363; Development of an integrated simulation tool for flexible machining lines; Q Wang and P G Maropoulos 371; Web-based Java analysis software for engineering applications of axisymmetric plane stress problems; X L You 379; Remote Control, Condition Monitoring, and Tele-robotics; Development of a web-based condition monitoring and control system for CNC milling processes; K Bllau, K Cheng, M Whitbread, and G E Taylor 391; Remote process monitoring through Internet; X Chen, T Limchimchol, S Hussain, and G Liu 401; Application of mobile agents in multiple online robots; L Cragg and H Hu 409; Pump asset operation and performance monitoring over the Internet; K J Darbyshire and G Waterworth 419; Distributed hardware architecture and intelligent sensors for mobile robots; A Dilshad 425; Assessment of the possibility to remotely monitor and control a pH process - an experimental study; N N Karnachi, G Waterworth, and K J Darbyshire 433; Virtual reality telerobotic system; U Kartoun, H Stern, and Y Edan 445; Conditions for through-process analysis of product surface in steel manufacture; F D Van Den Burgh, S Duysters, C A A Jonker, G E N Kuiper, P T M Van Lieshout, M P Timmermans, H T Ploegaert, M B Denys, and S G Thornton 455; e-Business, e-Commerce, and e-Services; Location-based services - a vehicle for IT&T convergence; K Michael 467; The international material data system - e-business readiness in the automobile supply Chain? I Pollok, B K Temple, D K Harrison, D A Edgar, and S C Kinzler 479; A staged e-business development model; J Varley and O Molloy 489; The security audit mechanism in the enterprise e-commerce platform; C-Y Zhang, C-H Piao, L Zhang, and L-J Zheng 499; The electronic business strategy of small enterprises; C-H Piao, C-Y Zhang, and L-J Zheng 507; Computing Infrastructure for e-Engineering; Scalable architecture for multi-device Internet systems; M Ramachandran and R Lewis 517; A face-based computer login system; S King, G Y Tian, and S Ward 523; Product data tracking, the way to go in an industrial laboratory environment; A Hogendoorn, G E N Kuiper, P T M Van Lieshout, and M Nolte 535; Improved scheme of double-direction signature in SET protocol; L-J Zheng, C-H Piao, C-Y Zhang, Y-F Jia, L-W Zheng, and J-G Qi 545; Digital Factory/Enterprise; Web-based integration for virtual factory implementation; A Lung, R Benhadj-Djilali, and J A Garcia 553; Development of an agile manufacturing scheduling system for shop floor productions; P Venkat, K K Matta, and Z Wang 561; Research on the strategy and implementation methodology of low-cost moderate automatization semiflexible manufacturing system for leather enterprises; Y Zhang and X-L Wang 573; On-line Education and Industrial Training; Agents for operator training; A Crispin, P Clay, T Bayes, and D Reedman 581; Panoramic imaging based e-laboratory construction; D Gledhill, G Y Tian, J Liao, and D Clarke 589; Developing web-based java applets for on-line learning of geometric tools; X L You 601; Authors' Index 611