Modern Metalworking emphasizes the important place metals occupy in our everyday lives; it
explores the numerous metalworking career opportunities. It is designed to provide a broad
experience in metalworking through the use of tools, machines, and materials that are basic to this
important area of industry. It covers both hand and machine-tool operations, and supplies background
knowledge on industrial equipment and processes.
Metal is used for many different purposes. It is used to manufacture such items as jet and rocket
engines, where the material must withstand tremendous heat. It is used to make mammoth earth
movers, where toughness is a necessity. Metal is also used to make modern aircraft, where light weight
and great strength are required.
Metals are used to make things of beauty such as jewelry, tableware, furniture, and works of art.
The fuel that powers nuclear power plants and ocean going vessels is a metal. It needs only a few
pounds to generate enough power to propel a submarine or aircraft carrier around the world. Still
another combination of metals has the unique ability to convert sunlight to electrical energy. A thin
layer of metal only a microinch (1/1,000,000″) thick makes it possible for a computer to make
split-second computations.
Metals have been used in some way during the production of almost everything we eat, see, feel,
hear, smell, and touch.
With so much of our daily life depending upon metals, it is essential that we learn something
about them, how they are worked, and the industry that uses them. With all of this in mind, it is not
difficult to answer the question, “Why study about metals?”
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Introduction