Field-assisted machining of difficult-to-machine materials

Difficult-to-machine materials (DMMs) are extensively applied in critical fields such as aviation, national defense, biomedicine, and other key fields due to their excellent material properties. However, traditional machining technology is difficult to precisely machine DMMs due to poor surface quality and low processing efficiency. In recent years, as a new generation of machining technology, field-assisted machining (FAM) technology based on innovative principles such as laser heating, tool vibration, magnetic magnetization, and plasma modification provides a new solution for improving the machinability of DMMs. It is advantageous to prevent the shortcomings of traditional machining methods, and has become a hot topic of research in the domain of ultra-precision machining of DMMs. Many new methods and principles have been presented and investigated one after another, yet few researches have been analysed and summarized from a comprehensive standpoint. To fill this gap and understand the development trend of FAM, this study provides an important overview of FAM, covering different assisted machining methods, application effects, mechanism analysis, and equipment design. The current deficiencies and future challenges of FAM are summarized to lay the foundation for the further development of multi-field hybrid assisted and intelligent field-assisted machining technologies.