(Quality costs; research; writing) Nanotechnology may be the future of manufacturing. The term refers to any area of research that deals with objects one tenth the size of an atom. According to the Center for Responsible Nanotechnology and given the current rate of development, general purpose molecular manufacturing might become a reality by 2010, is likely by 2015, and almost certainly will be achieved by 2020. The last stage of nano engineering is the ability to create “assemblers” (a device with a submicroscopic arm that is controlled by a computer) that can build consumer goods. For the new technology to become a reality, the assemblers need to be able to self replicate.
a. What implications would the introduction of nanotechnology and molecular manufacturing have on the four types of quality costs within the manufacturing process? Outside the manufacturing process?
b. What implications would the introduction of nanotechnology and molecular manufacturing have on nonquality costs?