TABLE OF CONTENTS This chapter discusses the manufacturing processes used in industry to produce discrete products (cars, aircraft, computers, appliances, machinery, plastic moldings, and glass products) from the three basic engineering materials (metals, ceramics, and polymers) and composites of these basic materials. Manufacturing processes divide into two categories: (1) processing operations, which transform materials into component parts, and (2) assembly operations, which join those component parts into products. Processing operations include shaping operations, property-enhancing operations, and surface-processing operations. Assembly includes welding, brazing, soldering, adhesive bonding, and mechanical assembly. The individual manufacturing processes in each of these categories will be defined in this chapter.
Manufacturing can be defined two ways: (1) from a technological viewpoint, and (2) from an economic viewpoint. Technologically, manufacturing consists of the application of physical and chemical processes to alter the geometry, properties, and/or appearance of a given starting material to make parts or products. Manufacturing also includes assembly processes in which products are made by joining multiple parts into a single entity. Processes to accomplish manufacturing involve a combination of machinery, tools, power, and manual labor, as depicted in Fig. 14.1.1(a). Manufacturing is almost...
