Machine Tools and Mechanization

Abstract

This chapter is about a series of important metallurgical advances and mechanical devices—machines—that required hard metals and high precision and could not have been made before the eighteenth century or, in some cases, the late nineteenth century. The first real machine tools (lathes, boring machines) made Watt’s steam engine a commercial success. The others mentioned in the chapter include printing machines and timekeepers (clocks and watches), locks, keys, and other fastening devices, ending with the bicycle, arguably one of the most important inventions of all time.