Loughborough University is a top-ten rated university in England for research intensity (REF2014) and an outstanding 66% of the work of Loughborough’s academic staff who were eligible to be submitted to the REF was judged as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’, compared to a national average figure of 43%. In choosing Loughborough for your research, you’ll work alongside academics who are leaders in their field. You will benefit from comprehensive support and guidance from our Doctoral College, including tailored careers advice, to help you succeed in your research and future career. Laser milling has recently gained interest in industry for finishing ultra-hard cutting tools, especially in the automotive field. In laser milling, different combinations of materials properties and machining parameters lead to various topographical profiles and the actual removed volume needs to be estimated accurately to achieve accurate simulations. For polycrystalline composites, due to the complex microstructure of grains/binder, the laser milling optimisation process is still based on trial and error experiments, resulting in a not efficient and limited use in industry. Researchers have been investigating various way of predicting the laser milling process for monocrystalline materials. However, for polycrystalline composites analytical models representing accurately the physical behaviour of thermal ablation process remain to be developed. This project aims at developing a 3D geometrical simulation tool for laser ablation of polycrystalline ultra-hard material. The successful candidate is expected to develop a novel model which combines machine learning models with more conventional thermal analytical models, populate the necessary databases from past and new experiments and to characterise the milled surfaces with various techniques. This research will benefit from direct involvement of industrial partners including ultra-hard material and cutting tool manufacturers, helping the candidate to build a strong understanding of the machining involved in automotive and aerospace industries.