Metal matrix composite (MMC) materials are increasingly used in industrial sectors such as energy, structural, aerospace, and automotive. This is due to the improvement of properties by the addition of reinforcements. Thus, it is possible to obtain properties of higher strength, better rigidity, controlled thermal expansion, and elevated wear resistance. However, due to the extreme hardness achieved during their manufacture, these composites pose a challenge to the conventional machining industry due to the rapid deterioration experienced by cutting tools. This article therefore proposes the use of an unconventional machining method that is becoming increasingly widely used: abrasive water jet cutting. This process is characterized by high production rates, absence of wear, and environmental friendliness, among other advantages. Experimental tests were carried out in order to analyze results that minimize the formation of defects in the machining of metal matrix composite consisting of aluminium matrix with silicon carbide (Al-SiC MMC). To this end, results were analyzed using Scanning Optical and Electron Microscope (SOM/SEM) techniques, the taper angle was calculated, and areas with different surface quality were detected by measuring the roughness.

Polymer additive manufacturing has advanced from prototyping to producing essential parts with improved precision and versatility. Despite challenges like surface finish and wear resistance, new materials and metallic reinforcements in polymers have expanded its applications, enabling stronger, more durable parts for demanding industries like aerospace and structural engineering. This research investigates the tribological behaviour of FFF surfaces by integrating copper and aluminium reinforcement particles into a PLA (polylactic acid) matrix. Pin-on-disc tests were conducted to evaluate friction coefficients and wear rates. Statistical analysis was performed to study the correlation of the main process variables. The results confirmed that reinforced materials offer interesting characteristics despite their complex use, with the roughness of the fabricated parts increasing by more than 300%. This leads to an increase in the coefficient of friction, which is related to the variation in the material’s mechanical properties, as the hardness increases by more than 75% for materials reinforced with Al. Despite this, their performance is more stable, and the volume of material lost due to wear is reduced by half. These results highlight the potential of reinforced polymers to improve the performance and durability of components manufactured through additive processes.

Light alloy machining is a widely implemented process that is usually used in the presence of cutting fluids to reduce wear and increase tool life. The use of coolants during machining presents negative environmental impacts, which has increased interest in reducing and even eliminating their use. In order to obtain ecofriendly machining processes, it will be necessary to suppress the use of cutting fluids, in a trend called “dry machining”. This fact forces machines to work under aggressive cutting conditions, producing adhesion wear that affects the integrity of the parts’ surfaces. This study describes cutting tool wear mechanisms in machining of UNS A92024 samples under dry cutting conditions. Energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis shows the different compositions of the adhered layers. Roughness is also positively affected by the change of the cutting geometry produced in the tool.

Although its importance has increased significantly, Additive Manufacturing is not yet a fully accepted industrial manufacturing process for load-carrying parts. The future success of the process group depends on its standardization. This work proposes a methodology for the design, manufacturing, and quality evaluation of specimens manufactured by Fused Layer Modeling that are composed of only one layer (so-called monolayers). The processing methodology and properties of monolayers have not been studied systematically yet. A first systematic design of monolayers for mechanical testing is presented. Rectangular and circular monolayers adapted to the loads of tensile and compression testing are manufactured using different trajectory strategies. Frequently occurring macro- and microgeometrical defects are evaluated and categorized in order to optimize the part quality. This work also studies the effect of some manufacturing parameters such as the gap between print head and machine bed, trajectory strategy, bed leveling, and temperatures on part quality. The most suitable specimens are tested mechanically in tensile or compression tests. In the case of study, tensile strength values are only 8.6% lower than the values for reference tests on the unextruded filament. However, the properties deviate more strongly for compression tests which may be due to the selected specimen geometry.

High compression forces developed during machining processes -and the subsequent energy transferred - carry on changes in the workpiece surface. These changes are usually evaluated only from dimensional or geometrical viewpoints and less frequently form the point of view of the physicochemical surface properties. Notwithstanding, some works relating geometrical and physicochemical properties of machined surfaces can be found in the literature. It is well known that geometrical features of machined surfaces are strongly related to the cutting parameters. Therefore, it can be thought that physicochemical properties of machined surfaces depend strongly on machining parameters. This work reports on the results of a study of the influence of the turning parameters on the Ultimate Tensile Strength (UTS) of turned bars of UNS A92024 Aluminium-Copper alloy.