ABSTRACT
This chapter is intended for those who may not have an extensive background in structural mechanics, or who have not used some of that knowledge recently and need a refresher. The working manufacturing engineer today is involved in product design, tool design, process selection and development (both parts fabrication and assembly), materials, and many other areas that require an analytical evaluation for proper understanding. In the fi eld of metallurgy, for example, terms such as stiffness, stress, strength, elasticity, and so forth are the language involved-and sometimes we tend to use some of the terms incorrectly. In the fabrication of sheet metal parts, the elongation and yield strength are key elements. In machining, shear may play an important role in understanding cutting principles and selecting the proper cutting tool for a specifi c material.
