The objective of this study was to utilize Taguchi methods to optimize surface roughness, tool wear and power required to perform the machining operation in turning metal matrix composites (MMC). The cutting parameters are analyzed under varying cutting speed, feed rates and cutting time. The settings of turning parameters were determined by using Taguchi's experimental design method. Orthogonal arrays of Taguchi, the signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio, the analysis of variance (ANOVA) are employed to find the optimal levels and to analyze the effect of the turning parameters. Confirmation tests with the optimal levels of machining parameters are carried out in order to illustrate the effectiveness of Taguchi optimization method. The results show that the Taguchi method is suitable to solve the stated problem with minimum number of trials. © (2011) Trans Tech Publications.