Why study Metallurgy?

Modern industry is dependent on the knowledge of metallurgy. Nearly every kind of manufacturing today is affected by the behavior of metals and alloys. Therefore, anyone who plans a future career in modern industry will find a working knowledge of metallurgical processing to be a valuable asset.

Engineers, technicians, designers, drafters, tool and die makers need skills in selecting materials and heat-treating processes. Production managers need an understanding of terms such as ductility, hardness, normalizing and surface hardening.  Troubleshooters, who diagnose cause of equipment failure also need to be trained to recognize the cause of cracks and excessive wear. And thus the study of metallurgy proves to be useful.

• Daniel A. Brandt, J. C. Warner (2005) Metallurgy Fundamentals page 12 (ISBN: 1590703456)