Recent Trend in Machining of Composites-An Overview

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of a recent trend of machining the composites. Also outlines the scope and highlights the status of research across the world. Composites are advanced metals reinforced with continuous or discontinuous fibers, or whiskers, or particulate. The particulate-reinforced composites have been developed during 1980's with attention focused on Aluminium-based composites with SiC and AI₂O₃ particles. Composites have many advantages, like high strength, toughness, stiffness, lightweight, and high heat resistant, over the conventional materials. However, their utilization is still limited by the high manufacturing costs involved, mainly because of the difficulties in machining these materials. Non-conventional machining methods like Water Jet Machining (WJM), Abrasive Jet Machining (AJM) and Laser Beam Machining (LBM) etc. are used for such materials, but they also have problems. To minimize some of these difficulties, one of the thermal process names Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) is being discussed for present study of machining of composites. A comprehensive review of literature available related to this process has also been reported.