A review of laser-assisted cutting of hard and brittle materials: Tools, devices and mechanisms

Hard and brittle materials are prone to some problems such as tool wear, poor surface quality or low processing efficiency in traditional cutting processes. To deal with these issues, researchers have explored a variety of cutting technologies, and gradually turned their attention to laser-assisted cutting technology. Combining traditional cutting with laser preheating, the laser-assisted cutting technology has the merits of high machining precision, less tool wear, low energy consumption and environmental pollution. Therefore, many new design requirements and theoretical concepts are proposed for laser-assisted cutting. To understand the development trend in laser-assisted cutting of hard and brittle materials, this paper reviews the latest research progress of laser-assisted cutting of hard and brittle materials from the aspects of tools, devices and mechanism. Firstly, the preparation methods of micro-textured tools and coated tools are described, and the mechanism of surface modification by combining micro-texture and multi-layer coating is discussed. Secondly, the coupling mechanisms and processing methods of multi-field coupling technology in laser-assisted cutting are described, covering machining devices, cutting materials, mechanisms, and composite laser-assisted cutting methods. Finally, the research status of laser-assisted cutting technology for hard and brittle materials is summarized, and its future development direction is forecasted, aiming at providing important technical support for high-end equipment manufacturing.