Investigation on the burr formation mechanism in micro cutting

It is desirable to minimize burr formation for improving part quality. This paper presents an investigation on the burr formation mechanism in micro cutting by taking into consideration the stress distribution around the cutting edge arc. The influences of the uncut chip thickness and the cutting edge radius on burr formation were investigated. Poisson burr is attributed to the side flow of the stagnation material at the bottom of the cutting edge arc. The stress distribution at the cutting edge arc has great influence on Poisson burr formation. The burr height decreases to the minimum value and then increases with reducing the uncut chip thickness due to the change of the maximum stress distribution. An optimum machining strategy also is suggested in micro milling of snake-shaped groove microstructure.     

An improved cutting force model for micro milling considering machining dynamics

Micro milling, as a versatile micro machining process, is kinematically similar to conventional milling; however, it is significantly different from conventional milling with respect to chip formation mechanisms and uncut chip thickness modelling, due to the comparable size of the edge radius to the chip thickness, and the small per-tooth feeding. Considering tool runout and dynamic displacement between the tool and the workpiece, the contour of the workpiece left by previous tool paths is typically in a wavy form, and the wavy surface provides a feedback mechanism to cutting force generation because the instantaneous uncut chip thickness changes with both the vibration during the current tool path and the surface left by the previous tool paths. In this study, a more accurate uncut chip thickness model was established including the precise trochoidal trajectory of the cutting edge, tool runout and dynamic modulation caused by the machine tool system vibration. The dynamic regenerative effect is taken into account by considering the influence of all the previous cutting trajectories using numerical iteration; thus, the multiple time delays (MTD) are considered in this model. It is found that transient separation of the tool-workpiece occurring at a low feed per tooth, caused by MTD and the existing cutting force models, is no longer applicable when transient tool-workpiece separation occurs. Based on the proposed uncut chip thickness model, an improved cutting force model of micro milling is developed by full consideration of the ploughing effect and elastic recovery of the workpiece material. The proposed cutting force model is verified by micro end milling experiments, and the results show that the proposed model is capable of producing more accurate cutting force prediction than other existing models, particularly at small feed per tooth.     

Definition and determination of the minimum uncut chip thickness of microcutting

Uncut chip thickness is comparable to cutting edge radius in micromachining. If the uncut chip thickness is less than a critical value, there will be no chip formation. This critical value is termed as minimum uncut chip thickness (MUCT). Although minimum uncut chip thickness has been well defined in orthogonal cutting, it is often poorly understood in practical complex turning and milling processes. In this paper, a set of definitions of minimum uncut chip thickness for three-dimensional turning and milling processes are presented. This paper presents an analysis of the state-of-the-art research on minimum uncut chip thickness in precision micromachining. Numerical and experimental methods for determination of MUCT values and their effects on process mechanics and surface integrity in microcutting will be critically assessed in this paper. In addition, a detailed discussion on the characteristics of different methods to determine minimum uncut chip thickness and several unsolved problems are proposed for the future work.     

Development of a capacity analysis and planning simulation model for semiconductor fabrication

Micro-machining has gained increased application to produce miniaturized parts in various industries. However, the uncut chip thickness in micro-machining is comparable to cutting edge radius. The relationship between the cutting edge radius and uncut chip thickness has been a subject matter of increasing interest. The acoustic emission (AE) signal can reflect the stress wave caused by the sudden release of the energy of the deformed materials. To improve the precision of machining system, determination of the minimum uncut chip thickness was investigated in this paper. The AE signal generated during micro-cutting experiments was used to analyze the chip formation in micro-end milling of Inconel 718. The finite element method (FEM) simulation was used to analyze the results of the experiments. The results showed that the cutting tool geometry and material properties affected the minimum uncut chip thickness. The estimation of the minimum uncut chip thickness based on AE signals can produce quite satisfactory results. The research on the minimum uncut chip thickness can provide theoretical basis for analysis of surface quality and optimal choice of cutting parameters.     

Effect of tilted plate vibration on solidification and microstructural and mechanical properties of semisolid cast and heat-treated A356 Al alloy

To optimize the machining process, finding the minimum uncut chip thickness is of paramount importance in micro-scale machining. However, strong dependency of the minimum uncut chip thickness to the tool geometry, workpiece material, tool-work friction, and process condition makes its evaluation complicated. The paper focuses on determination of the minimum uncut chip thickness experimentally during micro-end milling of titanium alloy Ti-6Al-4V with respect to influences of cutting parameters and lubricating systems. Experiments were carried out on a CNC machining center Kern Evo with two flute end mills of 0.8 and 2 mm diameters being used in the tests for micro- and macro-milling, respectively. It was found that the micro-milling caused more size effect than macro-milling due to higher surface micro-hardness and specific cutting forces. The specific cutting force depended strongly on feed rate (f _z) and lubricating system, followed by depth of cut (a _p) and cutting speed (v _c), mainly in the micro-scale. All output parameters were inversely proportional to the specific cutting force. Finally, depending on different process parameters during micro-milling of Ti-6Al-4V, the minimum uncut chip thickness was found to vary between 0.15 and 0.49 of the tool edge radius.     

A FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS OF BURR FORMATION IN FACE MILLING OF A CAST ALUMINUM ALLOY

The research discussed in this article focuses on the effects of tool geometry (i.e., rake angle and cutting edge radius) and flank wear upon burr formation in face milling of a cast aluminum alloy. As to tool edge preparation, the use of a tool with variable cutting edge radius was investigated using FEM, and compared for its cutting performance (i.e., burr reduction and tool life) with a conventional tool with uniform cutting edge radius. In order to evaluate 3D face milling through 2D orthogonal cutting simulations, the cross-sections that consist in the cutting speed direction and chip flow direction were selected at different locations along the tool rounded corner. At these cross-sections, the local value of cutting edge radius and their associated tool rake angles as well as the effective uncut chip thickness were determined for 2D cutting simulations. In addition, 3D face milling simulations were conducted to investigate more realistic chip flow and burr generation. Comparisons were made for burrs produced from 3D simulations with a sharp tool, 3D simulations with a worn tool and face milling experiments. Finally, recommendations for cutting tool design are made to reduce burr formation in face milling.     

The investigation of mechanism of serrated chip formation under different cutting speeds

Chip type is determined by the coupled effects of workpiece material property, cutting speed, uncut chip thickness, feed rate, and tool edge geometry. The understanding of chip formation plays a critical role in studying surface integrity and optimization of machining process variables. Serrated chip, one of the major important chip type, is usually formed in hard cutting at high speed. In this study, a new analytical model has been proposed to better understand the formation of serrated chip, and the simulations have been acquired using ABAQUS/Explicit in machining AISI 1045 during different speeds (from 60 to 6000 m/min). The workpiece material property is modeled with the Johnson-Cook model, and the experiments have been conducted with AISI 1045 during speeds from 60 to 1200 m/min. It has been shown that flow stress is influenced simultaneously by the strain rate hardening and temperature softening. When the speed reaches very high, the temperature softening will fail, and the strain rate hardening will play a more important role. Also, it can be found that the hardening ratio increases when the cutting speed rises. The results of the simulations and experiments correlated well. The cutting force and thrust force both decrease as the cutting speed increases, and the difference between them will shrink when the machining speed reaches a high level.     

A new method for cutting force prediction in peripheral milling of complex curved surface

The instantaneous uncut chip thickness and entry/exit angle of tool/workpiece engagement vary with tool path, workpiece geometry and cutting parameters in peripheral milling of complex curved surface, leading to the strong time-varying characteristic for instantaneous cutting forces. A new method for cutting force prediction in peripheral milling of complex curved surface is proposed in this paper. Considering the tool path, cutter runout, tool type(constant/nonconstant pitch cutter) and tool actual motion, a representation model of instantaneous uncut chip thickness and entry/exit angle of tool/ workpiece engagement is established firstly, which can reach better accuracy than the traditional models. Then, an approach for identifying of cutter runout parameters and calibrating of specific cutting force coefficients is presented. Finally, peripheral milling experiments are carried out with two types of tool, and the results indicate that the predicted cutting forces are highly consistent with the experimental values in the aspect of variation tendency and amplitude.     

Study of micro ball end mill geometry and measurement of cutting edge radius

Cutting edge radius plays an important role in conventional micro machining process, as it is of the same order as uncut chip thickness. Therefore it is important to measure the edge radius accurately. There is no recommended methodology, as of now, to measure edge radius of a ball end mill. An attempt is made in this paper to study edge radius of ball end mill at normal and transverse planes on a virtual ball end mill generated using kinematic relations in CAD environment. In the present study, non-destructive methods using confocal microscope and stereo microscope are used to measure edge radius. These measurements capture the edge radius on the transverse plane. For confirmation, the tool sectioned in the transverse plane by a low speed diamond saw is examined under scanning electron microscope and the radius is assessed using suitable software. Among the non-contact approaches proposed in this work, confocal method appeared to be more reliable considering the reproducibility aspect.     

Instantaneous uncut chip thickness modeling for micro-end milling process

The prediction model of instantaneous uncut chip thickness is critical for micro-end milling process, which can directly affect the cutting forces, surface accuracy, and process stability of the micro-end milling process. This paper presents an instantaneous uncut chip thickness model systematically based on the actual trochoidal trajectory of tooth and the tool run-out in micro-end milling process. The variable entry and exit angles of tool, which are affected by the tool run-out, are concerned in the model. The related instantaneous uncut chip thickness is evaluated by considering the theoretical instantaneous uncut chip thickness and the minimum uncut chip thickness, which is formulated by two types of material removal mechanisms, in the elastic-plastic deformation region and the complete chip formation region, respectively. In comparison with the instantaneous chip thickness obtained from the conventional model, the feasibility of the proposed model can be proved by the related simulation results with variable process parameters including feed per tooth, radial depth of cut, and tool run-out. In addition, the predicted and measured cutting forces are compared with validate the accuracy of the proposed instantaneous uncut chip thickness model for the micro-end milling process.     

Modeling of the minimum cutting thickness in micro cutting with consideration of the friction around the cutting zone

Friction modeling between the tool and the workpiece plays an important role in predicting the minimum cutting thickness during TC4 micro machining and finite element method (FEM) cutting simulation. In this study, a new three-region friction modeling is proposed to illustrate the material flow mechanism around the friction zone in micro cutting; estimate the stress distributions on the rake, edge, and clearance faces of the tool; and predict the stagnation point location and the minimum cutting thickness. The friction modeling is established by determining the distribution of normal and shear stress. Then, it is applied to calculate the stagnation point location on the edge face and predict the minimum cutting thickness. The stagnation point and the minimum cutting thickness are also observed and illustrated in the FEM simulation. Micro cutting experiments are conducted to validate the accuracy of the friction and the minimum cutting thickness modeling. Comparison results show that the proposed friction model illustrates the relationship between the normal and sheer stress on the tool surface, thereby validating the modeling method of the minimum cutting thickness in micro cutting.     

AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF ORTHOGONAL MACHINING OF GLASS

An experimental study of machining glass with a geometrically defined cutting tool is presented. Orthogonal cutting conditions are employed to permit a focus on the fundamental modes of chip and surface formation. Analysis of the machined surfaces under an optical microscope identifies four regimes that are distinctly different with respect to either chip formation or surface formation. For a very small target uncut chip thickness, one on the order of the cutting edge radius, pure rubbing of the edge with no chip formation is observed. Edge rubbing imparts light scuffmarks on the machined surface giving it a frosted appearance. At a larger uncut chip thickness, ductile-mode chip formation occurs ahead of the cutting edge and a scuffed surface remains after the subsequent rubbing of the edge across the freshly machined surface. A further increase in uncut chip thickness maintains a ductile-mode of chip formation, but surface damage initiates in the form of surface cracks that grow down into the machined surface and ahead of the tool. The transition to this machining mode is highly dependent on rake angle. Increasing the uncut chip thickness further causes brittle spalling of chips leaving half-clamshell shaped divots on the surface. This experimental identification of the machining modes and their dependence on uncut chip thickness and rake angle supports the use of geometrically defined cutting tools to machine glass in a rough-semi-finish-finish machining strategy as is traditionally employed for machining metals.     

Thermomechanical modeling of oblique turning in relation to tool-nose radius

This article aims at predicting machining performances for oblique turning in relation to tool-nose radius. A new geometric analysis for the uncut chip area is proposed as function of depth of cut, feed rate, tool-nose radius, and edge direction angle. Cutting edge is discretized into increments and average uncut chip thickness, elementary direction angle and elementary depth of cut are determined for each one. A new thermomechanical model is developed for each increment which is supposed to be an oblique machining with single cutting edge. The predicted cutting force components are in good agreement with experimental data over a wide range of cutting conditions. In particular, the effect of tool-nose radius and cutting parameters on chip geometry, cutting temperature, and cutting force components are studied. It is underlined that tool-nose radius promotes the increase in radial force, however, its influence on the other parameters is negligible.     

AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF ORTHOGONAL MACHINING OF GLASS

Abstract

An experimental study of machining glass with a geometrically defined cutting tool is presented. Orthogonal cutting conditions are employed to permit a focus on the fundamental modes of chip and surface formation. Analysis of the machined surfaces under an optical microscope identifies four regimes that are distinctly different with respect to either chip formation or surface formation. For a very small target uncut chip thickness, one on the order of the cutting edge radius, pure rubbing of the edge with no chip formation is observed. Edge rubbing imparts light scuffmarks on the machined surface giving it a frosted appearance. At a larger uncut chip thickness, ductile-mode chip formation occurs ahead of the cutting edge and a scuffed surface remains after the subsequent rubbing of the edge across the freshly machined surface. A further increase in uncut chip thickness maintains a ductile-mode of chip formation, but surface damage initiates in the form of surface cracks that grow down into the machined surface and ahead of the tool. The transition to this machining mode is highly dependent on rake angle. Increasing the uncut chip thickness further causes brittle spalling of chips leaving half-clamshell shaped divots on the surface. This experimental identification of the machining modes and their dependence on uncut chip thickness and rake angle supports the use of geometrically defined cutting tools to machine glass in a rough-semi-finish-finish machining strategy as is traditionally employed for machining metals.     

基于钝圆尺寸效应的微细切削机理试验研究

通过微细车削试验,研究了微细切削加工参数对切削力、表面质量、切屑形成的影响,发现切削厚度与刃口半径的比值是影响微细切削的关键因素,当该比值过小时,刃口尺寸效应作用极其显著,导致切削比能迅速增大,表面质量恶化,切屑形成困难。根据这一结论可确定微细切削加工参数选择的下限范围,从而为微细切削加工参数选择提供理论依据。     

Study of reasons of increased active force using coolant with uncut chip thickness

The use of coolant usually leads to a decrease in active force. However, it is well known that when cutting with small uncut chip thickness while using a coolant, the active force may be greater than when cutting without a coolant. For this reason, finish turning with very small uncut chip thickness and manual scraping is carried out without a coolant. The current explanation of this phenomenon is that the coolant increases the plowing force. The aim of this research is to study the impact of the coolant on the plowing force and to explain the reasons for the increase in active force at small uncut chip thickness. In the chipping process, a new reason was found that explains the increase in the active force when using coolant. It was established that the coolant prevents the buildup. Due to this phenomenon, cutting is performed with the radius of the cutting tool at a negative rake angle and with greater active force than when cutting without a coolant. When cutting without a coolant, a buildup is formed on the radius of the cutting tool; the geometry of the cutting part is improved. This is the real reason for decrease in active force when cutting without a coolant. When using the method of extrapolation on a zero uncut chip thickness under the same conditions without buildup, it was found that using a coolant does not increase, but decrease the plowing force.     

Characterization and modeling of burr formation in micro-end milling

Mechanical micromachining is increasingly finding applications in fabrication of components in various fields, such as, biomedical devices, optics, electronics, medicine, communications and avionics. In order to ensure adequate functionality, there are stringent requirements for form and finish in case of biomedical devices like cochlear implants and metallic optics. This necessitates that the post machined surface must be burr free. To address these issues in micromachining, this paper presents results of an experimental study to investigate the influence of main process parameters i.e. speed, feed rate, depth of cut, tool diameter and number of flutes on the formation of the various types of burrs i.e. exit burrs and top burrs produced during micro-end milling operation. The experiments performed using Taguchi method shows that three types of burr formation mechanisms prevail during micro-end milling operations; these are: lateral deformation of material, bending and tearing of the chip. Also, three types of burrs were observed include: Poisson burr, rollover burr in down milling and tear burr in up milling. Further, it is observed that the depth of cut and the tool diameter are the main parameters, which influence the burr height and thickness significantly. However, the speed and the feed rate have small to negligible effect on the burr thickness and height. Besides the experimental analysis, the paper presents an analytical model to predict the burr height for exit burr. The model is built on the geometry of burr formation and the principle of continuity of work at the transition from chip formation to burr formation. Note that prediction of burr height in micro-end milling is extremely challenging due to the complex geometry of material removal and microstructural effects encountered during cutting at that length scales. The model fares well and the prediction errors range between 0.65 and 25%.     

Sustainability analyses of cutting edge radius on specific cutting energy and surface finish in side milling processes

The aim of this work is to determine the influence of cutting edge radius on the specific cutting energy and surface finish in a mechanical machining process. This was achieved by assessing the direct electrical energy demand during side milling of aluminium AW6082-T6 alloy and AISI 1018 steel in a dry cutting environment using three different cutting tool inserts. The specific energy coefficient was evaluated as an index of the sustainable milling process. The surface finish of the machined parts was also investigated after machining. It was observed that machining with the 48.50-μm cutting edge radius insert resulted in lower specific cutting energy requirements when compared with the 68.50 and 98.72-μm cutting edge radii inserts, respectively. However, as the ratio of the undeformed chip thickness to cutting edge radius is less than 1, the surface roughness increases. The surface roughness values gradually decrease as the ratio of undeformed chip thickness to cutting edge radius (h/r _e) tends to be 1 and at minimum surface roughness values when the ratio of h/r _e equalled to 1. However, the surface roughness values increased as h/r _e becomes higher than 1. This machining strategy further elucidates the black box and trade-offs of ploughing and rubbing characteristics of micro machining and optimization strategy for minimum energy and sustainable manufacture.     

ANALYTICAL MODELING OF MICRO END-MILLING FORCES WITH EDGE RADIUS AND MATERIAL STRENGTHENING EFFECTS

The study aims at developing a predictive analytical force model for the micro end-milling operation taking into account the material strengthening as well as the edge radius effects that come into play at the micro level. The mechanistic models for macro end-milling process have been extensively reported in literature and such models predominantly use milling force coefficients which are empirically determined from end-milling experiments. The proposed model for micro end-milling is based on determination of milling force coefficients from fundamental oblique cutting approach. The edge radius effect has been accounted by analyzing the rubbing action similar to the rolling of a cylinder over work surface. Johnson-Cook material model has been modified based on the strain gradient plasticity theory incorporating the increase in material strength with decreasing uncut chip thickness. From the micro orthogonal cutting experiments, a good agreement between the experimental and predicted shear strength values is observed. The force model is validated against measured forces in end-milling experiments carried out on the KERN Evo 5 axis micro machining center. The feed and lateral forces are predicted within 10% deviation on an average.     

Development of intelligent system to minimize burr formation in face milling

The exit burr generated in the face milling operation at the edge of the workpiece usually requires deburring processes to enhance the level of precision of the parts. This paper is to geometrically understand the formation of the exit burr in the face milling operation on the arbitrary shaped workpiece with multiple feature such as hole, spline, and arc so that we can suggest the cutting conditions and tool path to minimize the burr formation on the given workpiece in the early design stage. The burr formation mechanism in each type of burr is classified based on the experimental results. A database is developed to store and predict burr formation results. A Windows based program is developed with the algorithm including three steps, i.e., the feature identification, the cutting condition identification, and the analysis on exit burr formation. We can predict which portion of the workpiece would have the exit burr in advance so that we can manage to find a way to minimize the exit burr formation in an actual cutting. Here, the idea of critical burr length is introduced as a criterion in optimization.