Ultra-high-speed cutting (UHSC) has emerged as a transformative manufacturing technology aimed at overcoming the long-standing machining challenges associated with high-performance difficult-to-machine composites (HPDMCs). These materials—comprising silicon-based, metal matrix, and carbon fiber-reinforced polymers—are critical to strategic sectors such as aerospace and high-end equipment. This review adopts a distinctive “material-tool-process-equipment” synergistic innovation framework as its core analytical lens. Within this framework, it systematically outlines advances in UHSC, including the fundamental mechanisms of damage suppression and surface integrity enhancement under ultra-high strain rates. Innovative process methods such as laser-assisted and ultrasonic-assisted machining are examined in detail. This review also provides a mechanistic analysis of two key enabling technologies—tool micro-texturing and functional coatings—highlighting their roles in interfacial tribological regulation and physicochemical protection. Furthermore, dedicated equipment systems and stability optimization strategies essential for technological implementation are presented and evaluated. By synthesizing the current state of the field, this review identifies persistent bottlenecks and, guided by the proposed framework, suggests targeted future research directions: deep integration of smart manufacturing technologies, development of synergistic multi-energy-field processing, and enhanced adaptability to extreme service environments. This work not only consolidates the current knowledge in UHSC but also outlines a clear pathway for its evolution into a fully autonomous, efficient, and reliable manufacturing paradigm.

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.

K-wire drilling is commonly used in orthopedic surgeries, generating significant heat that can lead to bone thermal osteonecrosis. To understand the heat propagation and thermal damage region, a mathematical model of the negative rake angle on the hollow notched K-wire was established. Subsequently, a theoretical model of the shear angle for this negative rake angle was proposed. Based on these models, a comprehensive theoretical model of the heat flux was derived. The accurate heat flux was determined using the theoretical values, and experimental temperature data through inverse heat transfer method (IHTM). This heat flux was then applied in a finite element analysis to simulate the heat transfer process and identify thermal damage regions under different drilling conditions. Results showed that the thermal damage region of bone with a solid K-wire, hollow notched K-wire without cooling, with air cooling, and with water cooling were approximately 6.4 mm, 3.2 mm, 2.6 mm, and 4.8 mm in width, respectively, and 6.79 mm, 6.45 mm, 6.39 mm, and 6.58 mm in depth, respectively. This study demonstrates that the hollow notched K-wire with air cooling is a potential solution to reduce the thermal damage region, thereby accelerating patient recovery.