Introduction

Since the beginning of the 19th century, the increasing need for finished goods in large quantities, especially in the armaments industries, has led engineers to search for and to develop new methods of manufacture or production. As a result of developments in the various manufacturing processes, it is now possible to mass-produce high-quality durable goods at low cost. One of the more important manufacturing processes is the assembly process that is required when two or more component parts are to be secured together.