SiC

p

/Al is a topical difficult-to-cut material. In the cutting progress

the exist of particulates reinforcements makes the machined surface of the material easily appear some defects like matrix tearing

microcrack and microvoid during cutting. In order to achieve high efficiency and low damage machining of SiC

p

/Al composites

the paper summarizes macroscopic and microscopic modeling method which characterizes SiC

p

/Al dynamic mechanical properties. It analyzes the hotspots and difficult problems of the multi-scale and multiphase coupling cutting finite element simulation. It summarizes the cutting performance of SiC

p

/Al composite and its influencing factors fro

m the perspectives of chip formation mechanism

surface integrity and tool wear. Research shows that removal mode and mechanism of the particulates reinforcements have a significant effect on surface formation. It discusses research progress of the mechanism of processing ductile regime and the acquiring critical conditions of brittle-ductile transition. It points out that low temperature micro cutting

ultrasonic assisted micro cutting and laser assisted micro cutting are the development directions which achieve compatible deformation and the processing conditions of ductile regime of SiC

p

/Al composites.