In the automotive and aerospace industries, the need for strong yet light materials has given rise to extensive research into aluminum and magnesium alloys and formable titanium alloys. All of these are categorized as light weight materials. The distinguishing feature of light weight materials is that they are low density, but they have a wide range of properties and, as a result, a wide range of applications.

This book provides researchers and students with an overview of the recent advancements in light weight material processing, manufacturing and characterization. It contains chapters by eminent researchers on topics associated with light weight materials, including on the current buzzword “composite materials”. First, this book describes the current status of light weight materials. Then, it studies applications of these materials, given that, as the densities vary, so do the applications, ranging from automobiles and aviation to bio-mechatronics. This book will therefore serve as an excellent guide to this field.

Kaushik Kumar is Associate Professor at the Birla Institute of Technology, India. He has many years of industrial experience and his research interests include composites, optimization, non-conventional machining and quality management systems.

Bathini Sridhar Babu is Professor and Dean of the IIIIC at the CMR Institute of Technology, India. His research interests include manufacturing, advanced materials and mechanics of materials, among others.

J. Paulo Davim is Full Professor at the University of Aveiro, Portugal, and a Fellow (FIET) of The Institution of Engineering and Technology, UK. His research interests include manufacturing, materials and mechanical and industrial engineering, with a special emphasis on machining and tribology.