Advanced Machining and Tooling Technologies for Difficult-to-Cut Metallic Materials
A special issue of Metals (ISSN 2075-4701).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 46
Special Issue Editor
Interests: advanced cutting; cutting temperature; coated tool
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Significant progress in coated tool technologies—especially with high-entropy nitride coatings—has yielded substantial improvements in thermal stability and wear resistance under extreme conditions. Simultaneously, the machining of difficult-to-cut materials, such as nickel-based superalloys, ceramic matrix composites, and high-strength steels, remains a critical challenge in the manufacturing of components for aerospace, energy, and defense applications. These materials often exhibit high hardness, low thermal conductivity, and severe tool–material interaction, which lead to rapid tool wear and compromised surface integrity. To address these challenges, this Special Issue will focus on recent advances in high-performance manufacturing technologies and cutting tool innovations designed for such demanding applications.
Topics of interest include novel material removal strategies such as surface softening-assisted machining (e.g., laser or localized thermal assistance), and ultrasonic-assisted and hybrid machining processes, which enhance material machinability while preserving structural integrity. Additionally, this Special Issue will cover the development of advanced tool geometries, lightweight tool structures for improved dynamics, and internal cooling channel integration for enhanced thermal management.
This issue seeks high-quality contributions encompassing experimental research, numerical modeling, and application-driven studies, aiming to establish a comprehensive academic platform for next-generation tool design and precision machining of difficult-to-cut materials.
Dr. Jinfu Zhao
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Metals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- difficult-to-cut materials
- surface softening-assisted machining
- ultrasonic-assisted machining
- laser-assisted machining
- coated cutting tools
- high-entropy coatings
- complex tool geometry
- lightweight cutting tools
- internal cooling channels
- thermal management in cutting tools
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