Book excerpt: Mathematical modeling and computer simulation are useful tools for improving materials processing. While courses in materials processing have covered modeling, they have been devoted to one particular class of materials--polymers, metals, or ceramics. This text offers a new approach, presenting an integrated treatment of metallic and non-metallic materials. The authors show that a common base of knowledge--specifically, the fundamentals of heat transfer and fluid mechanics--unifies these seemingly disparate areas. They emphasize understanding basic physical phenomena and knowing how to include them in a model. The book also includes selected numerical methods, a wealth of practical, realistic examples, and homework exercises.