Research into industrial production is a varied and far-reaching activity and cannot be said to be the province of any one particular science. Industrial production research is a subject which cannot be covered in any one or even several branches of study, expertise in other fields of science is also needed for this research. The guiding principle on which industrial production is based is to manufacture marketable, quality products, using the factors of production as economically as possible. Only in this way can profitability be assured and future production be guaranteed. Industrial centres have sprung up throughout the world in which the latest technological achievements have been applied with great success. The 322 papers in this volume review current issues of production in an increasingly demanding working environment. Current problems are analysed which can only be solved through worldwide production research which will also further industrial development. The effects of both industrial production and the production of energy on the natural environment are examined in detail. The articles presented in this book emphasise the need for flexibility and concentration of forces in production research, in order to propose and implement approaches and solutions which can be adapted to continuously changing circumstances. It is hoped that the readers of this volume will consider production research as an ongoing and open project which requires multidisciplinary cooperation to cope with the many open questions on future industrial development throughout the world.