1
1
Contemporary
Machining Processes
for New Materials
Some materials have been used by humankind for millennia, e.g., ceramics, glass,
iron, and copper, while others emerged in the second half of the 20th century, such
as polymers, engineering ceramics, and composites (Dobrzanski, 2013). The continuous process of search for and exploration of new materials and methods usually intensifies when the existing methods are not efficient (Kumar et al., 2018).
Nowadays, global competition has resulted in the rapid development of new materials, processes, and products (Velayudham, 2007). In fact, the variety of materials has increased tremendously in the last decades; new and more severe service
requirements and demand for lower costs have arisen as well (Schwartz, 2010).
Some sources estimate that the number of available engineering materials is close
to 100,000, and it is expected that new materials with certain properties will be produced on customer’s demand (Dobrzanski, 2013). Thus, the term “new materials” is
often associated with materials that possess significantly different properties than
the “traditional” ones, e.g., reduced weight, improved strength, toughness, wear and
corrosion resistance, and safety for our health. The new generation of materials with
improved properties poses problems to machining and hence requires new manufacturing processes and new machining approaches (Sreejith and Ngoi, 2001). In this
chapter, we describe several material processing methods, starting from the foam
injection molding and concluding with accuracy issues. But first we should discuss
the main concepts driving today’s industry.
1.1 NEW MATERIALS AND APPROACHES TO THE PRODUCT
LIFE CYCLE, REMANUFACTURING, AND REUSE
It is not easy to define the term “new materials”. When consulting Science Direct in
February 2021, 138,112 results for “new materials” were found, out of which more
than 14,000 were publications between 2020 and 2021. A proposed categorization
suggests that the development of new materials covers the following:
1. Nano and microfabrication methods
2. Materials and systems mimicking nature, such as biomimetic materials and
smart materials and systems
3. Materials for information storage and transmission, usually referred to as
functional materials
DOI: 10.1201/9781003218654-1
1
Contemporary
Machining Processes
for New Materials
Some materials have been used by humankind for millennia, e.g., ceramics, glass,
iron, and copper, while others emerged in the second half of the 20th century, such
as polymers, engineering ceramics, and composites (Dobrzanski, 2013). The continuous process of search for and exploration of new materials and methods usually intensifies when the existing methods are not efficient (Kumar et al., 2018).
Nowadays, global competition has resulted in the rapid development of new materials, processes, and products (Velayudham, 2007). In fact, the variety of materials has increased tremendously in the last decades; new and more severe service
requirements and demand for lower costs have arisen as well (Schwartz, 2010).
Some sources estimate that the number of available engineering materials is close
to 100,000, and it is expected that new materials with certain properties will be produced on customer’s demand (Dobrzanski, 2013). Thus, the term “new materials” is
often associated with materials that possess significantly different properties than
the “traditional” ones, e.g., reduced weight, improved strength, toughness, wear and
corrosion resistance, and safety for our health. The new generation of materials with
improved properties poses problems to machining and hence requires new manufacturing processes and new machining approaches (Sreejith and Ngoi, 2001). In this
chapter, we describe several material processing methods, starting from the foam
injection molding and concluding with accuracy issues. But first we should discuss
the main concepts driving today’s industry.
1.1 NEW MATERIALS AND APPROACHES TO THE PRODUCT
LIFE CYCLE, REMANUFACTURING, AND REUSE
It is not easy to define the term “new materials”. When consulting Science Direct in
February 2021, 138,112 results for “new materials” were found, out of which more
than 14,000 were publications between 2020 and 2021. A proposed categorization
suggests that the development of new materials covers the following:
1. Nano and microfabrication methods
2. Materials and systems mimicking nature, such as biomimetic materials and
smart materials and systems
3. Materials for information storage and transmission, usually referred to as
functional materials
DOI: 10.1201/9781003218654-1