Acknowledgements

I express my gratitude to the Minister for Technical and Medical Education of Maharashtra State, Honorable Shri D. P. Sawant, who complimented and felicitated me for writing technical books, while he was invited to our institute recently in the month of May 2013. He also encouraged me to write more books.

I am grateful to Prof. B. M. Naik, Former Principal of S.G.G.S. Institute of Engineering and Technology, Nanded, who has always acted as a source of encouragement. His dynamism and leadership led me to write this book and I will never forget his support and words of wisdom.

Special thanks are due to the members of the board of governors of S.G.G.S. Institute of Engineering and Technology, who motivated me to write this book. I thank eminent industrialist Shri B. N. Kalyani, head of the Kalyani Group of Companies, for inspiring and complimenting me for authoring technical books. I am also obliged to Dr L. M. Waghmare, Director of our institute, for supporting and appreciating me while writing this book.

I am indebted to all my colleagues, friends and students who helped me at the time of preparing the manuscript for this book. I acknowledge the support rendered by Dr S. V. Bonde, Dr P. D. Jadhav, Dr P. Pramanik, Dr P. S. Charpe, Dr B. M. Dabde, Dr Y. V. Joshi, Dr U. V. Kulkarni, Dr S. P. Kallurkar, Dr V. M. Nandedkar, Dr A. U. Digraskar, Dr R. S. Holambe, Dr B. M. Patre, Prof. R. K. Chavan, Dr J. V. L. Venkatesh, Prof. P. S. Nalawade, S. S. Hatkar, Dr R. C. Thool, Dr V. R. Thool, Dr D. D. Doye, Milind Bhalerao, Dr A. B. Gonde, Dr A. Chakraborthi, Dr A. V. Nandedkar, Dr P. B. Londhe, Dr R. R. Manthalkar, Dr S. S. Gajre, Prof. N. G. Megde, Dr A. S. Sontakke, Dr R. H. Chille, Dr L. M. Waikar and A. I. Tamboli of S.G.G.S. Institute of Engineering and Technology.

I thank my friends Principal Prof. S. L. Kotgire and Prof. Balaji Bacchewar for their words of encouragement. M. M. Jahagirdar, L. M. Buddhewar, K. M. Buddhewar, D. V. Deshpande, S. R. Kokne, M. G. Damkondawar, Yeramwar, Pampatwar, D. R. Yerawar, S. R. Tumma, and S. R. Mana also helped me to a great extent while writing this book.

I thank Pearson Education for publishing this book. In particular, I thank Ms V. Pavithra and Ms Neha Goomer for their help in seeing this book through production. In addition, I also thank Thomas Rajesh for his constant encouragement.

I appreciate the help and support provided by all the students, faculty, and non-teaching staff of this institute as well as that of other friends who have directly or indirectly added value to this book.

Thanks are also due to my wife, Surekha, who persistently supported me at all times. I am indebted to my sons Amol and Amit, daughter Sangita, as also my daughter-in-law Swarupa, who all played a key role in bringing this book to fruition. Swarupa was of immense help in drawing the figures in several chapters. I thank all of them.

Ashok Namdev Kamthane