Book excerpt: Advances in Manufacturing Technology XVII continues a well-respected series with the papers presented at the 1st International Conference on Manufacturing Research (ICMR 2003) - incorporating the 19th National Conference on Manufacturing Research (NCMR). This essential text provides a thorough review of all aspects of manufacturing engineering and management and will be of interest to all those involved in this rapidly advancing sphere of mechanical and manufacturing engineering. Topics covered include Machining Processes and Tooling Forming Processes and Tools Advanced Manufacturing Techniques Advanced Manufacturing Systems Design Methods, Processes, and Systems CAD/CAM Testing/Experimentation/Metrology Internet and E-design/Manufacture Virtual Enterprise and Enterprise Integration