Trends in advanced materials and processes

Abstract Remarkable advances in structural materials technologies have been made in the past 25 years. New structural materials — metals, ceramics, polymers or hybrid materials derived from these, called composites — open a promising avenue in manufacturing industries. Their superior properties, such as the high temperature strength of ceramics or the high stiffness and light weight of composites, offer the opportunity for more compact designs, greater fuel efficiency and longer service life in a wide variety of products. Various forming operations have direct bearing on the class of advanced materials. The present review discusses some of these aspects of advanced materials with particular emphasis on applications in automobile, cutting tool and defence industries.