iii To God Almighty iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my research advisor, Dr. Lee W. Lerner, for providing me with the opportunity, resources, and guidance which made this work possible. I am also very grateful for Dr. Michael E. West for providing me with the opportunity to work at the Georgia Tech Research Institute. In addition, I would like to thank my Virginia Tech colleagues who ...

This article addresses the varied possibilities for following a two-level fractional factorial with another fractional factorial half the size of the original experiment. While follow-up fractions of the same size as an original experiment are common practice, in many situations a smaller follow-up experiment will suffice. Peter John coined the term “semifolding” to describe using half of a fol...

High-resolution electron microscopy is discussed as a measuring, rather than an imaging, technique. It is shown that the interpretation of the images could greatly benefit from a quantitative instead of a qualitative approach accompanied by quantitative statistical experimental design.

This paper aims to find the key process parameters for machining different parts of an automobile gearbox, commissioned by a company that needs to replace with the MQL lubrication system their current machining process based on cutting fluids. It particularly focuses on the definition of appropriate cutting parameters for machining under the MQL condition through a statistical method of Design ...

Negotiation between two individuals is a common task that typically involves two goals: maximize individual outcomes and obtain an agreement. However, research on the simplest negotiation tasks demonstrates that although naive subjects can be induced to improve their performance, they are often no more likely to achieve fully optimal solutions. The present study tested the prediction that a dec...

Although experimentation is a frequent activity of engineers, they usually use primitive strategies to carry on their experiments. A survey identifies the needs of using an efficient and practical technique for the experimentation. Although Six Sigma improvement initiative emphasized the use of Design of Experiments (DoE) for experimentation, engineers still consider it a difficult technique to...

This review identifies the research findings in the area of computer mediated, collocated, multi-disciplinary collaborative design. After a general look into this and related research areas, three influencing aspects of collaborative design are reviewed. Design activities, working together, and collaborative systems that fit into various work practices. Finally, we note missing points of resear...