Page 8 - Mechanical Engineers' Handbook (Volume 4)

Vision for the Third Edition

Basic engineering disciplines are not static, no matter how old and well established they are.
The field of mechanical engineering is no exception. Movement within this broadly based
discipline is multidimensional. Even the classic subjects on which the discipline was founded,
such as mechanics of materials and heat transfer, continue to evolve. Mechanical engineers
continue to be heavily involved with disciplines allied to mechanical engineering, such as
industrial and manufacturing engineering, which are also constantly evolving. Advances in
other major disciplines, such as electrical and electronics engineering, have significant impact
on the work of mechanical engineers. New subject areas, such as neural networks, suddenly
become all the rage.
In response to this exciting, dynamic atmosphere, the Mechanical Engineers’ Handbook
is expanding dramatically, from one volume to four volumes. The third edition not only is
incorporating updates and revisions to chapters in the second edition, which was published
in 1998, but also is adding 24 chapters on entirely new subjects as well, incorporating updates
and revisions to chapters in the Handbook of Materials Selection, which was published in
2002, as well as to chapters in Instrumentation and Control, edited by Chester Nachtigal
and published in 1990.
The four volumes of the third edition are arranged as follows:

Volume I: Materials and Mechanical Design—36 chapters
Part 1. Materials—14 chapters
Part 2. Mechanical Design—22 chapters
Volume II: Instrumentation, Systems, Controls, and MEMS—21 chapters
Part 1. Instrumentation—8 chapters
Part 2. Systems, Controls, and MEMS—13 chapters
Volume III: Manufacturing and Management—24 chapters
Part 1. Manufacturing—12 chapters
Part 2. Management, Finance, Quality, Law, and Research—12 chapters

Volume IV: Energy and Power—31 chapters
Part 1: Energy—15 chapters
Part 2: Power—16 chapters

The mechanical engineering literature is extensive and has been so for a considerable
period of time. Many textbooks, reference works, and manuals as well as a substantial
number of journals exist. Numerous commercial publishers and professional societies, par-
ticularly in the United States and Europe, distribute these materials. The literature grows
continuously, as applied mechanical engineering research finds new ways of designing, con-
trolling, measuring, making and maintaining things, and monitoring and evaluating technol-
ogies, infrastructures, and systems.
Most professional-level mechanical engineering publications tend to be specialized, di-
rected to the specific needs of particular groups of practitioners. Overall, however, the me-
chanical engineering audience is broad and multidisciplinary. Practitioners work in a variety
of organizations, including institutions of higher learning, design, manufacturing, and con-

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