4.3 SHAPING AND JOINING MATERIALS 82 The oldest known evidence of metalworking is a copper pendant uncovered in Iraq which dates back to 8,700 BC. A blacksmith is an artisan specialised in processing iron and steel. What invention marked the beginning of the Industrial Revolution? METALWORKING Metalworking is the process of forming and shaping metals to create useful tools and objects. The term covers a wide range of work, from large ships and bridges to precise engine parts and delicate jewellery. It therefore includes a correspondingly wide range of skills, processes, and tools. Since metals cannot be used in their pure form, they need to undergo specific processes to be transformed from raw materials into workable materials. This process, called smelting, occurs when an ore is heated in order to extract its base metal, which can then be worked. The origins of metalworking Metallic ores have been extracted from the earth for thousands of years and precious metals have been worked into objects and valued by ancient civilisations from Pharaohs in Egypt to Mayans in North America. Artisans and blacksmiths were very skilled at creating objects of adornment, religious items, and different instruments and many of these ancient techniques are still used by metalsmiths today. Modern metalworking began with the Industrial Revolution , during which foundries gave a new drive to metal manufacturing by inventing new methods for the creation of more specialised products. Modern techniques Modern metalworking processes, though diverse and more specialised than in the past, can be categorised into the following processes. Cutting is a process in which material is brought to a specified shape by removing the excess using various kinds of tools. Casting involves the introduction of molten metal into a rigid mould. Forging is shaping metal by applying compressive forces, typically using a hammer or press. Forming is the process of fashioning metal parts and objects through mechanical deformation; the workpiece is reshaped without adding or removing material, and its mass remains unchanged. Joining brings two or more pieces of metal together through one or more different processes which include welding, brazing, and soldering. anvil: incudine bender: macchina piegatrice blacksmith: fabbro metalsmith: lavoratore del metallo mould: stampo to fashion: modellare, dare forma to punch: perforare, bucare to smelt: fondere 198 MECHANICS A number of machine tools capable of creating precise and useful workpieces are used. Commonly used metalworking tools range from the simple hammer and anvil to complex tools including fibre lasers, punch presses, panel benders, and welding equipment.