The Science and Engineering of Cutting: The Mechanics and Processes of Separating, Scratching and Puncturing Biomaterials, Metals and Non-Metals

The materials mechanics of the controlled separation of a body into two or more parts – cutting – using a blade or tool or other mechanical implement is a ubiquitous process in most engineering disciplines. This is the only book available devoted to the cutting of materials generally, the mechanics of which (toughness, fracture, deformation, plasticity, tearing, grating, chewing, etc.) have wide ranging implications for engineers, medics, manufacturers, and process engineers, making this text of particular interest to a wide range of engineers and specialists.

• The only book to explain and unify the process and techniques of cutting in metals AND non-metals. The emphasis on biomaterials, plastics and non-metals will be of considerable interest to many, while the transfer of knowledge from non-metals fields offers important benefits to metal cutters
• Comprehensive, written with this well-known author’s lightness of touch, the book will attract the attention of many readers in this underserved subject
• The clarity of the text is further enhanced by detailed examples and case studies, from the grating of cheese on an industrial scale to the design of scalpels

Dr. Atkins was Professor Emeritus of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Reading and Visiting Professor at Imperial College, London. He taught and researched in the general field of large deformation flow and fracture of all sorts of materials, including biomaterials. He was a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, and of the Institute of Materials 3. He sat on various professional institution committees, editorial boards of journals and book series, and has been an advisor on NATO’s Science for Peace Programme.