Book excerpt: This book is the third in the Woodhead Publishing Reviews: Mechanical Engineering Series, and includes high quality articles (full research articles, review articles and case studies) with a special emphasis on research and development in machining and machine-tools. Machining and machine tools is an important subject with application in several industries. Parts manufactured by other processes often require further operations before the product is ready for application. Traditional machining is the broad term used to describe removal of material from a work piece, and covers chip formation operations including: turning, milling, drilling and grinding. Recently the industrial utilization of non-traditional machining processes such as EDM (electrical discharge machining), LBM (laser-beam machining), AWJM (abrasive water jet machining) and USM (ultrasonic machining) has increased. The performance characteristics of machine tools and the significant development of existing and new processes, and machines, are considered. Nowadays, in Europe, USA, Japan and countries with emerging economies machine tools is a sector with great technological evolution. Includes high quality articles (full research articles, review articles and cases studies) with a special emphasis on research and development in machining and machine-tools Considers the performance characteristics of machine tools and the significant development of existing and new processes and machines Contains subject matter which is significant for many important centres of research and universities worldwide