1. Introduction to Advanced Cutting and Joining Processes

Traditional cutting processes are becoming obsolete in many modern applications because of their limitations or prohibitive to use or as a non-viable option for such modern applications. Conventional cutting processes such as turning and milling have become non-economical cutting processes for most of the advanced engineering materials that are developed to be high performing due to the nature of applications they are intended for. Most of these materials interact with the cutting tool in such a way that the cutting tools are consumed more rapidly during the cutting process that increases the downtime and increases the cost of manufacturing or they can even destroy the material make-up, most especially advanced composite materials. Difficult-to-machine materials are costly to machine using these traditional machining processes. In view of the aforementioned problems, the need for advanced machining processes became imperative. Also, the machines and devices are now designed to become smaller than they used to be. The need to reduce global warming is another driving force for the development of advanced machining processes. The constant strive to make moving and flying machines such as automobile and aerospace smaller and more compact is one of the requirements to reduce global warming. There is need to have a cutting process that is able to machine materials with high accuracy and at micro- and nanoscale levels. Joining these advanced materials as well as joining of materials at micro- and nanoscale levels is inevitable because at one point or the other, materials are joined during fabrication processes. Conventional welding processes could not be used to join these advanced and micro- and nanoscale materials because of large heat-affected zone that is associated with this welding processes. Also, the tools used in most of these conventional welding processes are even larger than the workpiece. Contact-less machining and welding processes are desired to be able to efficiently and effectively machine and join these high-technological materials. The section A of this book deals extensively with the various advanced non-contact, and tool-less machining processes such as laser machining, water jet machining and chemical machining. Non-contact joining processes are dealt with in great detail in section B of this book which include laser welding, ultrasonic welding and explosive welding processes. In this chapter, a brief introduction of these advanced machining and joining processes is presented.