JMEM/
Articles/
2603003497
  • Open Access
  • Review

Tool Coating Characterization Methods for Fibre Metal Laminates (FMLs) Machining Applications: A Narrative Review

  • Rúben D. F. S. Costa 1,2,*,   
  • Sónia L. S. Simões 2,   
  • Tiago E. F. Silva 2,   
  • Abílio M. P. Jesus 2,   
  • Francisco J. G. Silva 3,   
  • Daniel A. Figueiredo 4,   
  • Andresa Baptista 3,   
  • Gustavo F. Pinto 3

Received: 28 Feb 2026 | Revised: 25 Mar 2026 | Accepted: 30 Mar 2026 | Published: 29 Apr 2026

Abstract

Characterization methods constitute a fundamental path of determining the properties of a machining tool coating before experimental works are undertaken, so that its fitness for a certain operation is studied beforehand. When the requirement is to machine fibre metal laminates, this is even a more important matter, since the coating is expected to withstand several challenging solicitations, which most of the times result in an excessive tool wear resultant from the composite fibres’ abrasiveness and the dissimilar materials distinct cutting patterns. Nevertheless, this problem can be avoided through a correct characterization of the coating, which will both make it possible to avoid early tool wear and increase its lifetime, resulting in huge economic savings and lower waste, making the overall process much more sustainable. Machining tool coatings can be characterized following diverse physical, mechanical and tribological techniques. The most frequent characterized methods used for this application are the atomic force microscopy (AFM), the scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the x-ray diffraction (XRD), the Raman spectroscopy, the nano/microindentation, the scratch test, the pin-on-disc test and the micro-abrasion. This paper consists of a narrative review containing the state-of-the-art of the literature using these methods, with several combined in some cases for a complete coating characterization, in addition to a SWOT analysis for each methods group. Accordingly, this article’s main objective is to collect the important findings regarding machining tools’ coating characterization studies performed in the literature from 2020 to 2026 to highlight their differences and the best for each determined application. 

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Costa, R. D. F. S.; Simões, S. L. S.; Silva, T. E. F.; Jesus, A. M. P.; Silva, F. J. G.; Figueiredo, D. A.; Baptista, A.; Pinto, G. F. Tool Coating Characterization Methods for Fibre Metal Laminates (FMLs) Machining Applications: A Narrative Review. Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Manufacturing 2026. https://doi.org/10.53941/jmem.2026.100021.
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