This renowned text has provided many thousands of students with an easily accessible introduction to the wide ranging subject area of materials engineering and manufacturing processes for over thirty years. It is now thoroughly updated and fully in line with current syllabus requirements. Offering a comprehensive guide to materials, the fifth edition focuses on applications and selection, reflecting the increased emphasis on this aspect of materials engineering now seen within current vocational and university courses. Materials properties and relevance to particular uses are addressed in detail from the outset, with all subsequent chapters linking back to these essential concepts. Detailed discussion of examples of materials, and additional applications of processes have been incorporated throughout, along with expanded sections addressing the causes of failure and material selection. Structured to match current BTEC National and Higher National syllabus specifications Provides detailed discussion of materials selection and applications Avoids the excessive technical jargon and mathematical complexity common in textbooks for this subject