TABLE OF CONTENTS Steels, stainless steels, and cast irons are the major ferrous materials. A specific steel can be found for almost every mechanical engineering application and, so, steels occupy a preeminent position among engineering materials in ME. This is because they can be processed easily and heat treated to various tempers, giving rise to the required combination of properties. Stainless steels are used because of their excellent corrosion resistance. They are also used in high temperature systems. Cast irons are economical and alloy cast irons find wide use in mechanical equipment in corrosive situations.
Various materials are in use in mechanical devices, components, and systems; these materials are selected and applied based on their merits. It is required above all that they conform to all of the design specifications and requirements. They must either be readily available in the specified final form, such as springs of specific dimensions, or they must be capable of being made and processed with minimum effort, be repairable, and serviceable during use. They should also be economical in general.
Materials in mechanical engineering use are usually classified into four major categories. These are: metallic,...
