Review on investigation of various parameters on drilling of metal matrix composites

Composite material in general, and metal matrix composites in particular, have been a main topic in research for the last 15 years. Metal matrix composites (MMC) have been found to be useful in a number of engineering applications and particle reinforced aluminium MMCs have received considerable attention due to their excellent engineering properties like high strength to weight ratio, high toughness, high impact strength etc. But these materials are generally regarded as extremely difficult to machine, because of the abrasive characteristics of the reinforced particulates. It is also acknowledged that their machining behaviour is not fully understood. The work reviewed here investigated the drilling characteristics in terms of drilling forces, tool wear, chip formation, drilled hole quality, and influence of coolants.