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INTRODUCTION The Board on Manufacturing and Engineering Design (BMAED- "be made") has been in existence within the National Research Council (NRC) since 1979. Until 1995 the Board was known as the Manufacturing Studies Board. The current name was adopted to reflect the focus of board, which deals with leading issues in manufacturing that derive from technical considerations with implications for national policy. The board has conducted studies related to specific manufacturing issues; interactions between design, engineering, and manufacturing; and the significance of specific manufacturing activities for the nation. The board considers a variety of perspectives: public policy, research, process and product innovation, technology implementation, industry structure and management, critical relationships between manufacturing and nonmanufacturing functions, human and organizational behavior, educational and skill requirements, and international competitiveness. These heterogeneous concerns represent the diverse interests to which manufacturing must respond in the coming years. The Board on Manufacturing and Engineering Design is an operational unit of the Commission on Engineering and Technical Systems within the National Research Council and is governed by a group of men and women who are recognized experts in the science and technology of materials. Members are appointed for three-year terms, with approximately one-third of the membership appointed each year. Studies overseen by BMAED involve experts from industry, academe, research institutes, and government who are chosen on the basis of competence in the relevant subject matter. They serve without pay and are selected in accordance with the procedures of the National Research Council, to provide a balance of disciplines, institutional representation, and interests. BMAED publishes a newsletter that describes studies under way and recently completed as well as providing other information about
2 BMAED and MSB Reports BMAED and the National Research Council. Anyone wishing to receive the newsletter distribution list should contact the board at the address shown on page vi. A final report is published for each BMAED study. The report contains findings, conclusions, and recommendations and usually include a review of the state of the art and critical analyses of data related to problem areas. Except for reports that contain certain distribution restrictions (e.g., security classification and export control regulations), results of studies are made available to the public through normal channels without restriction. Reports are usually distributed to the sponsoring agencies, to other government agencies interested in the subject, and to a distribution list assembled by the sponsoring agencies. A limited number of copies are also available from BMAED (free of charge) and from the National Academy Press. This catalog is intended to acquaint interested parties with recent BMAED studies. If BALAED's supply of free copies has been exhausted, reports can be obtained from the National Academy Press (NAP). Studies that have been conducted in collaboration with other boards within the NRC may be available from the other board. These reports are clearly identified in this catalog. Instructions for ordering reports from all sources are given on page vi. Availability of a report can be confirmed by calling or writing any of these sources directly.
