We are very pleased to introduce the proceedings of the Annual International Conference on Emerging Research Areas (AICERA-15), July 23–24, 2015, organized by the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Amal Jyothi College of Engineering, Kanjirappally, Kerala, India. The theme, “Manufacturing and Materials Engineering” was well appreciated by the research community from different parts of India as seen from their enthusiastic submission of manuscripts. AICERA-15 will cover two aspects of engineering, namely, Manufacturing and Materials Engineering, encompassing Advanced Manufacturing Process, Optimization of Manufacturing Processes, Additive Manufacturing, Friction and Wear Mechanisms in Manufacturing Systems, Computational Contact Mechanics, Product Design and Development, Mechatronics and Automation, CAD/CAM, CIM, Micro-Structure and Mechanical Properties, Nano Materials and Technologies Correlation, Advanced/Smart Materials for Strategic Sectors etc. Experts in Mechanical Engineering, Metallurgy, Material Science and allied research areas are expected to attend the Conference making it a truly dynamic one. The 2-day event will provide ample exposure to scholarly works and personal interaction by researchers in these fields of engineering. It is expected to facilitate synergy among academicians, engineers from industry and research scholars. There will be sessions to discuss recent advances, challenges, breakthroughs and research advancements on various facets of Manufacturing and Materials Engineering. The conference also features invited talks and paper presentations on current technologies.

This publication complements the Conference proceedings related to Materials Engineering only. We have received eighty-three manuscripts originally which were reviewed by the Transactions of Indian Institute of Metals for acceptance and publication in the journal. Currently eighteen peer-reviewed papers are being published in the journal.

The conference will be chaired by the sessions chairmen who are internationally reputed for their contributions to the topics selected. The presence of a large number of delegates will be highly gratifying, showing their high level of interest in the subject. The efforts made by various organizing committees are presumed to contribute to its success. We also acknowledge the important contributions of our patron His Excellency Mar Mathew Arackal, Bishop of Kanjirappally Diocese, Rev Fr Varghese Parinthirical, Manager, and Rev Dr Jose Kannampuzha, Principal, Amal Jyothi College of Engineering, for offering their hospitality and support to this Conference.