This book focuses on the analysis of manufacturing processes and the integration of this analysis into the design cycle. Uniquely, the boundary element method (BEM) is the computational model of choice. This versatile and powerful method has undergone extensive development during the past two decades and has been applied to virtually all areas of engineering mechanics as well as to other fields. Among topics covered are BEM infrastructure, design sensitivity analysis, and detailed discussions of a broad range of manufacturing processes including forming, solidification, machining, and ceramic grinding.

This volume contains eight state of the art contributions on mathematical aspects and applications of fast boundary element methods in engineering and industry. This covers the analysis and numerics of boundary integral equations by using differential forms, preconditioning of hp boundary element methods, the application of fast boundary element methods for solving challenging problems in magnetostatics, the simulation of micro electro mechanical systems, and for contact problems in solid mechanics. Other contributions are on recent results on boundary element methods for the solution of transient problems. This book is addressed to researchers, graduate students and practitioners working on and using boundary element methods. All contributions also show the great achievements of interdisciplinary research between mathematicians and engineers, with direct applications in engineering and industry.

Numerical simulation of manufacturing processes and its integration into the design cycle are the dual themes of this book. The computational method of choice here is the boundary element method (BEM). Detailed discussions of forming, casting, machining and grinding process modelling are included.

Heat transfer problems in industry are usually of a very complex nature, simultaneously involving different transfer modes such as conduction, convection, radiation and others. Because of this, very few problems can be solved analytically and one generally has to resort to numerical analysis. The boundary element method is a numerical technique which has been receiving growing attention for solving heat transfer problems because of its unique ability to confine the discretization process to the boundaries of the problem region. This allows major reductions in the data preparation and computer effort necessary to solve complex industrial problems. The purpose of this book is to present efficient algorithms used in conjunction with the boundary element method for the solution of steady and transient, linear and non-linear heat transfer problems. It represents the state-of-the-art of boundary element applications in the field of heat transfer, and constitutes essential reading for researchers and practising engineers involved with this important topic.

Nine detailed survey chapters by different authors present a number of applications of BEMs.

Although the Trefftz finite element method (FEM) has become a powerful computational tool in the analysis of plane elasticity, thin and thick plate bending, Poisson's equation, heat conduction, and piezoelectric materials, there are few books that offer a comprehensive computer programming treatment of the subject. Collecting results scattered in t

VI SOCRATES: I think that we ought to stress that we will write only about things that we have first hand experience in, in a coherent way that will be useful to engineers and other scientists and stressing the formulation without being too mathematical. We should write with integrity and honesty, giving reference to other authors where reference is due, but avoiding mentioning everybody just to be certain that our book is widely advertised. Above all, the book should be clear and useful. PLATO: I think we should include a good discussion of fundamental ideas, of how integral equations are formed, pointing out that they are like two dimensional shadows of three dimensional objects, ... SOCRATES: Stop there! Remember you are not 'the' Plato! PLATO: Sorry, I was carried away. ARISTOTLE: I think that the book should have many applications so that the reader can learn by looking at them how to use the method. SOCRATES: I agree. But we should be careful. It is easy to include many illustra tions and examples in a book in order to disguise its meagre contents. All examples should be relevant. ARISTOTLE: And we should also include a full computer program to give the reader if so he wishes, a working experience of the technique.