Materials Processing Systems Control and Competition

Abstract

Technological and, subsequently, economic leadership in communication, transportation, information processing, and other high tech systems is directly dependent upon advances in materials processing and manufacturing technologies. It is for this reason that the firms, industries, academic institutions, and governments of various nations are competing to develop and promote advanced materials technologies. At the heart of their efforts are systems performance and reliability which can be either constrained or enhanced by the quality of available materials. For example, the quality of the silica in fiber optics, gallium arsenide in electronic circuitry, or advanced ceramics in adiabatic engines determine how well these high tech systems will function. In this context, it is important to recognize that control of the microstructure of a material is critical in determining its engineering properties and subsequent performance in use. Ultimately, technical and economic competitive advantage is determined by the efficiency with which scientific information based on materials characterization and analysis is generated and applied to process control and commercialization of technology.