Essential Manufacturing is the title of this book for two reasons. First, the book's main purpose is to provide the reader with the essential technological, managerial and economic ingredients of manufacturing industry. The second reason is that I believe manufacturing is essential in that it is of crucial importance to the wellbeing of a large nation and its population. Our society benefits from manufacturing industry as it creates wealth. It does this by adding value to raw materials through work. This wealth is used to provide services such as health and education and to generally improve the quality of life. The products created by manufacturing industry form the fabric of our civilisation, whether they are used in transport, entertainment, telecommunications, medicine, education or even within the manufacturing industry itself. Unless a country has unique assets such as an abundance of natural resources that are in high demand, then without an efficient manufacturing capability most large developed countries will become relatively poor and experience economic and social decline. It is also significant that the manufacture of a complex product such as a car or aircraft is now a global activity. Thus many countries, by utilising their human resources and depending on their own particular skills, wage rates and quality of work, will all benefit from the production of manufactured products.

A nation therefore needs individuals with the ability to understand how manufacturing industry works, and how to put that knowledge to profitable use. The spectrum of manufacturing today requires knowledge of markets, product and system design, innovation, materials and technologies, logistics and management, manufacturing finance, human factors, environmental concerns and a grasp of the concept of the whole life cycle of a product.

Although much has changed in the manufacturing environment since my earlier book on this subject, the basic manufacturing processes and the importance of manufacturing still exist. However, the Internet has now revolutionised the organisational aspects of manufacturing with companies able to access information rapidly from a wide range of networks and the World Wide Web from anywhere on the globe. This has had an extremely beneficial effect on aspects such as supply chain management and with the emergence of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) a wide range of opportunities are available; for example, the monitoring and control of assembly machines in a UK factory can be carried out in real time at the company headquarters in China or the USA or vice versa. Processes such as casting and metal cutting are unchanged at a basic level but new processes have become mainstream. In particular, the additive manufacturing processes, only made possible by the confluence of digital design, digital communication and digital control, have opened up the possibility of mass personalisation of products. In the product design arena immersive virtual reality and augmented reality have begun to have real practical applications as the initial hyperbole has receded and they have become useful tools, and on the assembly line there has been the introduction of safe humanoid robots that can work alongside human workers. It should also be recognised that the pace of change is such that there are continual improvements in manufacturing processes. Thus although the process specifications included in the book are as correct as could be ascertained at the time of writing the reader should check for current capabilities with equipment suppliers when appropriate.

The book has been written as a result of a conviction that there is a need for an introductory text covering the basic elements found throughout manufacturing. There are many excellent books, some of them quite large that cover in detail the product design process, manufacturing technology or the management of manufacturing. This book is different in that I have attempted to show most facets of the subject in one concise volume thus allowing their interrelationships to be understood. Despite the broad range of the book, each topic is covered in sufficient detail to provide a basic working knowledge. Engineering and business students should understand the importance and content of manufacturing industry. Engineering accreditation bodies expect courses in all disciplines to provide students with a broad background in order to see their topic in context. This often involves an introduction to manufacturing industry. Usually engineering students only acquire knowledge of manufacturing in discrete and isolated topics making it difficult for them to grasp how these topics fit together. This book will therefore provide a holistic appreciation of the topic but with enough detail to be of practical use. As the book is relatively concise it should be capable of being read through from beginning to end providing a complete overview of the significance of manufacturing and its essential elements. However, the specific topics are covered in sufficient depth to have practical applicability in order to satisfy the requirements of college and first and second year university engineering courses. The book should therefore be useful as an introductory text to those beginning courses in manufacturing or other engineering disciplines, and to others who need background knowledge of the subject, for example, those in business studies such as finance, human resource management and marketing. There is no prerequisite knowledge needed for the book as it is at an introductory level.

Part 1 is an introduction. It contains chapters on the significance of manufacturing, its history, an overview of typical manufacturing industries, how to design for manufacture and basic manufacturing principles and elements. These chapters put the subject into economic, social and technological perspective. Part 2 explains the materials used in manufacturing, how they are obtained and their various uses. Part 3 looks in more detail at the basic manufacturing processes to be found throughout industry. This should allow an understanding of how the processes work, their capabilities and relative advantages and disadvantages. This should produce the ability to decide on the fitness of a process for a particular task. Part 4 examines manufacturing automation much of which is microprocessor‐based and is applicable in all areas of the manufacturing process. Part 5 introduces manufacturing management by considering financial aspects and the general organisation of manufacturing. Manufacturing companies need to be world class. This stimulates them to rigorously examine their own operations and constantly compare themselves with other companies to ensure that their products stay ahead and their organisation remains dynamic. Since the competition is doing the same a state of constant change arises, hence the need for the management of change, a task recognised as necessary for company survival. Thus concepts such as good supply chain management are seen as essential and phrases such as ‘continuous improvement’, ‘towards excellence’ and ‘zero defects’ have been coined. Techniques have been formalised to assist achievement of these concepts, for example, total quality management, just in time manufacture, lean manufacturing, the focused factory, and simultaneous and concurrent engineering. Part 6 is a combination of management and technology as the nature of quality and quality measurement is presented. Part 7 presents the human considerations needed for a safe and healthy working environment for people that work in manufacturing industry. The book therefore includes the five ‘Ms’ of manufacture – machines, materials, money, management and the almost archaic term for human resources – manpower. Part 8 concludes by looking at some current trends and having a speculative look at some relevant aspects of the future.

I close this Preface with a personal note. When I started my career in manufacturing as a young apprentice press‐toolmaker and designer over half a century ago the world and manufacturing industry was vastly different from today. After my university education and then while working in a number of manufacturing engineering and management roles in a variety of companies, I could see how the rate of change in the industry was accelerating. At the age of 30, I joined academia and for the next 36 years, I observed, and was thrilled to be part of, what seems to be an exponential growth in manufacturing innovation and knowledge. It is an industry that is important, constantly changing and financially and emotionally rewarding. I have enjoyed continuously learning and applying new knowledge, working with interesting and sometimes challenging people and imparting my knowledge and experience to others. In my academic work I have taught, carried out research and formed my own research group and a spin‐out company, carried out consultancy work for a wide variety of manufacturing companies, contributed to international committees and participated in conferences around the world. Therefore, based on my own experience, I have found a career in manufacturing exciting, challenging and satisfying and I hope, for you, that this book proves a stimulating introduction to essential manufacturing.