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Chapter 3
The Role of Technology
in the e-Factory
Purpose of This Chapter
The purpose of this chapter is to describe several of the more important roles
that technology is now playing in the e-factory. The broadest sense of the term
technology is used herein. Technology is defined to mean the application of
machinery or scientific principles to performing work. In much of the mass
media today, technology is used as a synonym for computer hardware and
software. However, in the e-factory, technology must include the innovations
in mechanical, electrical, fluidic, optical, electromagnetic, and electronic devices.
Several technology trends have been ...