At the International Conference on Surface Finishing Technology and Surface Engineering (ICSFT2026) held in Hong Kong, Mr. Zhenyu Liu, a PhD student from Professor Jiong Zhang’s Smart and Precision Finishing lab at the Department of Mechanical Engineering (MNE) of CityUHK, was awarded the Best Paper Award. Organized under the guidance of the Production Engineering Institute of the Chinese Mechanical Engineering Society, ICSFT provides an international platform for showcasing and exchanging high-impact research accomplishments and technological innovations in precision finishing and surface engineering.

His award-winning paper, titled "Tuning Machining Performance in Copper Micro-Cutting by Thermally Controlling Water-Induced Surface Ordering", presents research conducted in collaboration with Professor Wai Sze Yip’s team from the State Key Laboratory of Ultra-precision Machining Technology at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. This work further explores the water-induced surface ordering effect, which can effectively reduce cutting forces and improve machining performance during copper micro-cutting, and breaks through the current perception of its binary "on-off" state. It proposes a thermal control method, verifying and revealing that the quantity of surface-bound water on copper is the key factor influencing this effect, thereby achieving the modulation of machining performance. Furthermore, by utilizing water as a medium to modulate machining performance, this work offers an economical and eco-friendly approach, providing practical insights for green manufacturing and performance control in ultra-precision machining.

This achievement reflects the research capabilities of the Smart and Precision Finishing lab at MNE of CityUHK in advanced ultra-precision machining. The study was conducted under the dedicated guidance of Professor Jiong Zhang and supported by the CityUHK Start-up Fund.