Machining of Poly Methyl Methacrylate (PMMA) and Other Olymeric Materials: A Review

Polymers have been adopted industrially in the manufacture of lenses for optical applications due to their attractive properties such as high hardness, high strength, high ductility, high fracture toughness, and also their low thermal and electrical conductivities. However, they have limited machinability and are therefore classified as hard-to-machine materials. This study conducts a critical review on the machining of various polymers and polymeric materials, with particular focus on poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). From the review it was concluded that various machining parameters affect the output qualities of polymers and which include the spindle speed, the feed rate, vibrations, the depth of cut, and the machining environment. These parameters tend to affect the surface roughness, the cutting forces, delamination, cutting temperatures, tool wear, precision, vibrations, material removal rate, and the mechanical properties such as hardness, among others. A multi-objective optimization of these machining parameters is therefore required, especially in the machining of PMMA.