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Since laser technology has considerable synergy with machining technologies, Laser Machining (LM) and Laser Assisted Machining (LAM) are relevant research topics. This paper attempts to give an overview of recent developments and research trends. Although scientific work on this area has contributed to the understanding of the process, there are still unresolved problems regarding the limitations of the techniques, optimum machining conditions, etc. The outcome of experimental investigations on LAM shows potential applications for this process but there are several issues to be resolved.

The electrical discharge machining (EDM) process performance depends on maintaining an appropriate machining gap with a servo system and discharge pulse parameters with a pulse power generator. The integration of the state-of-the-art monitoring and control technologies can substantially improve the performance of the EDM process. This paper reviews the research and development of advanced monitoring and control systems for die-sinking EDM and wire EDM during the last two decades. Important research activities include different EDM gap monitoring systems, servo and pulse adaptive control systems, and knowledge base control systems.

New machining technologies have developed in response to the demand for increased speed and accuracy. Advanced Manufacturing Technology Research Institute, for instance, developed the Hexapod robot for machining complex parts. Heidenman offers computerized numerical control software which allow users to program basic instructions in plain language while University of Wales researchers are studying the use of machining for rapid prototyping.

This paper proposes machining under high hydrostatic pressure as a new damage-free machining method for hard-brittle materials. Experiments for this study utilized a specially designed scratching test device, and the pin-on-disc scratching tests were conducted with three (3) hard-brittle materials (i.e., silicon, glass, and quartz) under pressure of 400 MPa and zero MPa. Traces of scratches on these specimens were examined with microscopes to evaluate the effects of hydrostatic pressure on machining defects. The results of the experiments show that hydrostatic pressure is efficient in minimizing machining defects and optimizing the productivity of the hard-brittle materials used in these experiments. Based on these findings, the paper concludes that the origin of a machining crack must exist in the subsurface of the workmaterial. [DOI: 10.1115/1.1347035]

Advances in machines must be accompanied by advances in the related supporting cast of tools, feeders and cutting fluids for machines to acquire the desired benefits. Kitagawa has recently focused on several machine-manufacturing problems such as the speed of machining and the speed of the rotational chuck. The company is working with several Japanese lathe manufacturers, including Mori-Seiki and Okuma, to develop new chucks capable of reliable and safe operating speeds of up to 10,000 rpm. The new chuck has been produced from a mixture of different grades of steel.

Four unusual R&D projects in production engineering are presented. Collaborative robots or 'cobots' promise to foster cooperation between a cobot and a person, with the former providing support against gravity and offering guidance, while the human will supply the force required to move the component. Charles Vann's SixDOF sensor could trim costs involved in robot control, while the HydroGuide is touted to enhance speed and accuracy in machine tools. The US Dept of Energy has allocated 500,000 pounds sterling on research on new magneto-elastic materials for torque sensors.

Aerojet General Corp's Propulsion Div has developed platelet technology, a computer-aided design-initiated process which involves coating the material with a photoresist element after which it is exposed to ultraviolet light. Polymerization of the coating makes it acide resistant in the sectors exposed to ultraviolet light. Different platelet designs can be produced using this method without disrupting continuity of the production process. The company has applied this technology in the production of rocket motors.