This volume presents papers presented at two symposia which addressed metal cutting: "Materials Issues in Machining" held at Materials Week '96 in Cincinnati, Ohio, October 7-10, 1996 and "The Physics of Machining Processes" held at the International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers in Atlanta, Georgia, November 18-22,1996. It combines the latest information on both the materials aspects and the mechanics of the cutting process, providing the reader with a unique perspective.