A good engineer can recite whole sections of his favorite reference book…a smart engineer knows how to find the information when needed. And having a fully stocked reference library can save valuable research time and could have an impact on how fast your turn around a design. I cannot count the number of times I get asked about my library of books. Sometimes I get asked design advice and I go straight to one of my three favorite books: The Machinery’s Handbook, Design for Manufacturability Handbook or the Materials Handbook. Each one has had a place in my library for years and I consider them as precious as gold.

Machinery’s Handbook

Ever since I got an old beat up 12th Edition handbook from a veteran board drafter at my first job, I have always carried one to every job. This book is invaluable, it is like having a machinist on your desk to advise you every time you have a question. I constantly use mine for looking up threads, finding long lost formulas, double-checking my weld symbols and even look up standard fits and tolerances. If you are on a tight budget and can’t afford a huge library, get an earlier edition. If your library only consists of this one book, you will still be ahead of the curve. It will be one of the most popular books in your office and you will have to hide it under lock and key. Maybe tie up some zombies next to your bookshelf to discourage people from borrowing it.

Design For Manufacturability Handbook

In the past it was not uncommon for designers and engineers to start their careers in the machine shop. A strong foundation in machining enables a designer to anticipate the manufacturing method and to adapt the design accordingly. Unfortunately, the closest thing to a machine shop I experienced was the wood shop at the Buena Park Boy’s Club. So I have done the next best thing, I studied design for manufacturability. I am no expert but I have a very good understanding of most manufacturing processes and the Design For Manufacturability Handbook was what set me on that path. I still refer to it when I am working on a design that will use a process that I am not too familiar with. Depending on the desired method, you can look up suggested materials, design considerations and even ways to improve your design for cost.

Materials Handbook

The Materials Handbook was actually something I stumbled upon by accident and I am glad I did. When I was working as a drafter in Arizona, we had an engineer that left the company. I guess his departure wasn’t planned so well because he had left a few items behind. When his old office was cleaned out, many of his books were thrown out. I just happened to wander by when I saw this book sticking out of a trash bin. Of course I had no problem digging it out of the trash and I am still glad to this day that I did. When I opened the book I found the coolest reference book ever. The Materials Handbook is an encyclopedia of every material you can think of in alphabetical order. When I say every material, I mean it. I always love showing coworkers some of my favorite materials, including coffee. Yes, coffee is in there. This book has helped me so many times when a materials expert starts rambling off materials during a design review.

See more of my favorites

Rather then ramble on about books (wow, I really am a geek), I created a list of suggested books. I call it the Engineer’s Bookshelf and you can find it by clicking the link on the top menu bar of the site. In it you will find some images of my favorite books and clicking on the cover image will take you to the Amazon page for the book. Also, I want to grow this list to be the most comprehensive list of books for engineers and designers. So if you have some suggestions, let me know so I can add them to the list. Heck, I might even pick a few up for myself.