In the present study, butt joints of aluminum (Al) 8011-H18 and pure copper (Cu) were produced by friction stir welding (FSW) and the effect of plunge depth on surface morphology, microstructure and mechanical properties were investigated. The welds were produced by varying the plunge depth in a range from 0.1 mm to 0.25 mm. The defect-free joints were obtained when the Cu plate was fixed at the advancing side. It was found that less plunging depth gives better tensile properties compare to higher plunging depth because at higher plunging depth local thinning occurs at the welded region. Good tensile properties were achieved at plunge depth of 0.2 mm and the tensile strength was found to be higher than the strength of the Al (weaker of the two base metals). Microstructure study revealed that the metal close to copper side in the Nugget Zone (NZ) possessed lamellar alternating structure. However, mixed structure of Cu and Al existed in the aluminum side of NZ. Higher microhardness values were witnessed at the joint interfaces resulting from plastic deformation and the presence of intermetallics.

Recent developments in automation and technology have revolutionized the way products are made. It is directly seen in the evolution of part miniaturization in the sectors such as aerospace, electronics, biomedicine and medical implants. Micromachining is a promising technology to fulfill the need of miniaturization. A review has been done on the micromachining processes such as micro electric discharge machining (micro-EDM) and wire EDM (WEDM), micro electrochemical machining (micro-ECM). Recent literature were studied and categorized in terms of materials, process parameters, performances, product manufactured, and miniature product generation. Starting with brief introduction to micromachining, classifications and applications, technical aspects of discussions from the literature have been presented on key factors such as parameters and the response variables. Important aspects of recast layer, heat effected zone, micro-hardness, micro cracks, residual stress, etc., have been given. A special focus is given to the status of the research on microgear manufacturing. Comparison has been made between other conventional process suitable for micro-gear manufacturing and WEDM. The miniature gear machined by WEDM shows the defect-free microstructure, better surface finish, thin recast layer and improved gear quality parameters such as profile and pitch. Finally, the research gaps and future research directions have been presented.