Volume 87, Issue 08 (2026), Pages: 103-113;
Received: 11 February 2026 / Resubmitted: 19 May 2026/ Revised: 19 July 2026/ Accepted: 22 August 2026/ Published: 31 August 2026
Research article
Tribological and Performance Insights of Textured Cutting Tools for Metal Matrix Composite
Sunit Awasthi1*, Saurabh D. Sharma2, Manoj Dwsai2, Mohar kumar3, Alok Kumar4, Jayant Kumar5
1Department of Science Aviation Management, Florida Memorial University, Miami Gardens, FL 33054, United States
2Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, Pune, Maharastra, India.
3Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Supaul college of engineering, Bihar, India.
4Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Government Engineering College, Vaishali, Bihar, India.
5Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Katihar Engineering College, Katihar, Bihar, India.
Abstract: Metal matrix composites (MMCs) are advanced engineering materials widely used in aerospace, automotive, and defence industries because of their high strength, stiffness, wear resistance, and thermal stability. However, the presence of hard ceramic reinforcements such as SiC, Al₂O₃, and B₄C makes MMCs difficult to machine, leading to severe tool wear, high cutting temperature, friction, and poor surface quality. To overcome these challenges, textured cutting tools have emerged as an effective tribology-based solution. Surface textures in the form of grooves, dimples, pits, or biometric patterns are introduced on the rake and flank faces of cutting tools to reduce the real contact area, trap wear debris, retain lubricants, and guide chip flow. These mechanisms help in reducing friction, adhesion, cutting force, crater wear, flank wear, and cutting temperature while improving tool life and surface finish. The effectiveness of textured tools depends strongly on texture geometry, orientation, density, and location relative to the cutting edge. Laser surface texturing is the most widely used fabrication method due to its precision and flexibility. Despite significant improvements in machining performance, challenges such as debris clogging, thermal damage during laser processing, and lack of standardized optimization methods still limit industrial application. Future research should focus on hybrid lubrication systems, multi-scale textures, in-situ diagnostics, and MMC-specific texture optimization for sustainable machining.
Keywords: Metal matrix composites, Textured cutting tools, Tribology, machining, Tool
wear, Chip-tool interface, Laser texturing, Sustainable machining
* Corresponding Author: sunitawasthi911@fmuniv.org
Doi (Journal): 10.1045/2026.Bauingenieur/108804-VDI_081
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