Fundamentals of Machining and Machine Tools

Book Preface

This book is intended primarily for those studying and teaching the principles of machine tools and metal machining in universities and colleges. It should also prove useful to those concerned with manufacturing in industry.

The mathematical content of the book is deliberately limited. Those who have taken basic courses in statics and dynamics and who have had an introduction to calculus should have no difficulty in comprehending the material.

Many of the present texts dealing with the same material are purely descriptive. In this book, the approach is to illustrate, through fundamentals and analysis, the causes of various phenomena and their effects in practice. Emphasis is given to the economics of machining operations and the design of components for economic machining.

A significant portion of the book is based on a previous text written by one of the authors (Geoffrey Boothroyd) and published by McGraw-Hill. While much of this material has been retained, recent developments have been included where appropriate. Several new chapters have been introduced and others largely rewritten. The section on tool materials has been expanded to include the modern materials that are contributing significantly to increases in productivity in industry. A new chapter on machine tool vibrations has been included, which covers the fundamental aspects of machine tool chatter, the dynamic testing of machine tools, and the practical means of improving machine tool stability. The chapter on grinding has been expanded to include thermal aspects of the process and a description of new grinding processes, including creep feed grinding.

New emphasis in the book has been placed on the utilization of machine tools through the inclusion of chapters on manufacturing systems and automation and on computer-aided manufacturing, together with an expanded chapter on design for machining, which serves as an introduction to an area of growing importance, that of design for manufacturability. Various types of automation in machine tools are outlined and an introduction to cellular plant layouts and flexible manufacturing systems is included. Aspects of the programming of numerical control machine tools are discussed in some detail. Finally, because of their growing importance, the main nonconventional machining processes are described and examples of their application given.

We are indebted to those with whom we have been associated in recent years and who have assisted both directly and indirectly in the preparation of this book, including colleagues and graduate students whose work has been helpful in the preparation of this book. Finally, we would like to thank Ms. Kathleen Yorkery for typing the manuscript.

GEOFFREY BOOTHROYD
WINSTON A. KNIGHT