Deep hole drilling using tools with small diameters—Process analysis and process design

This paper is focused on the drilling of bore holes with high length-to-diameter ratios and diameters less than 2 mm which are needed, for example, in medical and automotive applications. In the presented research, the influence of cutting data and tool design on tool wear and chip formation has been analysed. First the experimental set-up is described followed by an in-depth process analysis of the single-lip deep hole drilling process under investigation. The next section deals with a process combination, where laser and mechanical drilling are combined in order to improve process reliability and productivity.     

Drill geometry and operating effects when cutting small diameter holes in CFRP

The paper details experimental results when drilling small holes (1.5 mm diameter cemented carbide drills with varying end point and helix geometry) in thin quasi-isotropic, unbacked carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) laminate (typical cutting time 0.4 s/hole). The study utilised an L12 Taguchi fractional factorial orthogonal array with analysis of variance (ANOVA) employed to evaluate the effect of drill geometry and drilling conditions on tool life and hole quality. Main effects plots and percentage contribution ratios (PCR) are detailed in respect of response variables and process control factors. More conventionally, tool wear and cutting force data are plotted/tabulated, together with micrographs of hole entry/exit condition and internal hole damage. Drill geometry and feed rate in general had the most effect on measured outputs. Thrust force was typically below 100 N at test cessation; however, drill wear progression effectively doubled the magnitude of force from test outset. Entry and exit delamination factors (F_d) of 1.3 were achieved while the maximum number of drilled holes for a tool life criterion VB_Bmax of ≤100 μm was 2900 holes using a stepped, uncoated drill with a feed rate of 0.2 mm/rev.     

Investigation of underwater laser drilling for brittle substrates

The aim of this paper is to present and discuss data on underwater laser drilling techniques for brittle substrates. Drilling under water reduced substrate defects that typically result from conventional laser drilling in air. In this study, the substrates were submerged 1 mm beneath the water surface. A CO₂ laser was used to drill holes into LCD glass and alumina substrates. It was found that the underwater laser drilling quality for these materials is much better than that from laser drilling in air. Underwater laser drilling reduced the phenomena of micro-cracking and minimized the size of the area affected by heat from the laser. Also in this study, single-hole drilling and array-holes drilling by percussion and trepanning were conducted and analyzed both in air and underwater. The minimum distance between the two neighbour holes that can be obtained was much shorter in water than in air. The SEM photographs of the holes illustrate the contrast in drilling quality. The relationship between laser power, pulse repetition rate, and the hole quality was also evaluated.     

Identification and control for micro-drilling productivity enhancement

Micro-hole drilling (holes less than 0.5 mm in diameter with aspect ratios larger than 10) is gaining increased attention in a wide spectrum of precision production industries. Alternative methods such as EDM, laser drilling, etc. can sometimes replace mechanical micro-hole drilling, but are not acceptable in PCB manufacture because they yield inferior hole quality and accuracy. The major difficulties in micro-hole drilling are related to the wandering motions during the inlet stage, high aspect ratios, high temperature, etc. However, of all the difficulties, the most undesirable ones are the increases in drilling force and torque as the drill penetrates deeper into the hole. This is mainly caused by chip-related effects. Peck-drilling is thus widely used for deep hole drilling despite the fact that it leads to low productivity. Therefore, in this paper, a method for cutting force regulation is proposed to achieve continuous drilling. A proportional plus derivative (PD) and a sliding mode control algorithm will be implemented and compared for controlling the spindle rotational frequency. Experimental results will show that sliding mode control reduces the nominal torque and cutting force and their variations better than PD control, resulting in a number of advantages, such as an increase in drill life, fast stabilization of the wandering motion, and precise positioning of the holes.     

Spatter-free laser percussion drilling of closely spaced array holes

Spatter is one of the inherent defects commonly associated with holes produced with laser drilling. This work reports on a method of spatter prevention, workable for a wide range of process parameters. The method is based on the application of a specially developed anti-spatter composite coating (ASCC), containing a mixture of ceramic filler particles embedded in a silicone elastomer matrix, on the workpiece surface prior to laser percussion drilling. Experiments were conducted using a fibre-optic delivered 400 W Nd:YAG laser for the drilling of closely spaced through holes (2 mm hole pitch) in Nimonic 263 alloy sheets. The work revealed that the ASCC effectively prevented the deposition of spatter such that laser drilled holes were produced whilst maintaining the as-received surface characteristics of the Nimonic 263 alloy for all the assist gases tested (O₂, air, N₂ and Ar). The process characteristics and spatter prevention mechanism associated with the use of the ASCC have been investigated using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis, contact angle analysis and high-speed photographic imaging. Comparative studies were also made with the case of uncoated laser drilling.     

汽轮机隔板围带激光切割研究

针对汽轮机隔板的典型零件——"围带"的型孔激光切割加工进行试验研究。结果表明,对于6 mm以上的板,使用190 mm(7.5英寸)的透镜有利于减小切缝宽度。使用纯度为99.5%以上的氧气作为辅助气体不仅可以保证切割质量,而且比使用氮气更经济。     

喷油器深孔圆度加工工艺参数优化研究

以某柴油机喷油器深孔加工为例,采用单因素试验法,研究切削速度、进给速度及切削液油压对深孔圆度的影响规律.基于Box-Behnken三因素三水平试验,建立圆度的二次回归模型,通过方差和响应面分析,得到最优的工艺参数组合并进行验证.结果表明:喷油器深孔加工最优工艺参数为切削速度为4600 r/min、切削液油压为11.5 ...     

Water-assisted laser thermal shock machining of alumina

A combined experimental and computational approach was undertaken to investigate water-assisted laser cutting of 96% pure alumina specimens through controlled thermal shock fracture mechanism. A low-power CO₂ laser (<300 W) was used for localized heating and scribing of alumina samples followed by water quenching to induce thermal stress cracking. In order to elucidate the cutting mechanisms and identify the regime of processing conditions suitable for controlled fracture, laser cutting experiments were performed under two different environments: water-assisted laser cutting and dry laser cutting. Temperature profiles of the heat-affected zones were obtained using thermocouples and data acquisition system. Finite element analysis was applied to predict the temperature and thermal stress distributions developed during both water-assisted and dry laser cutting operations. Temperature histories of the samples recorded during cutting were compared with numerical model predictions to determine heat transfer parameters associated with wet and dry laser cutting of alumina samples. Both experimental data and numerical analysis indicate that water quenching makes a substantial difference in thermal stress distribution, which governs the ability to control the fracturing of alumina. This in turn, resulted in better control of cutting and higher feed rates than previously reported in laser machining of alumina.     

Laser Micro-processing of Zr50Cu28Ni7Co15 High-Temperature Shape Memory Alloys

In this paper, an experimental study of laser micro-processing on a Cu-Zr-based shape memory alloy (SMA), which is suitable for high-temperature (HT) applications, is discussed. A first evaluation of the interaction between a laser beam and Zr₅₀Cu₂₈Ni₇Co₁₅ HT SMA is highlighted. Single laser pulses at various levels of power and pulse duration were applied to evaluate their effect on the sample surfaces. Blind and through microholes were produced with sizes on the order of a few hundreds of microns; the results were characterized from the morphological viewpoint using a scanning electron microscope. The high beam quality allows the holes to be created with good circularity and little melted material around the hole periphery. An analysis of the chemical composition was performed using energy dispersive spectroscopy, revealing that compositional changes were limited, while important oxidation occurred on the hole surfaces. Additionally, laser micro-cutting tests were also proposed to evaluate the cut edge morphology and dimensions. The main result of this paper concerned the good behavior of the material upon interaction with the laser beam, which suggests that microfeatures can be successfully produced in this alloy.     

基于MQL的碳纤维复合材料制孔表面质量及切削力试验

目的 减少碳纤维增强复合材料(CFRP)制孔表面毛刺及边缘凸起等缺陷。方法 对比研究在干切削和微量润滑(MQL)2种加工条件下碳纤维增强复合材料(CFRP)的制孔,在切削速度一定时,探究切削方式、进给速度对制孔尺寸精度、表面质量、切削力的影响。采用方差分析对各影响因素及其权重进行分析。结果 得出了切削方式和工艺参数对制孔尺寸精度、切削力、表面质量的影响规律。试验结果表明,在微量润滑条件下,由于润滑和降温的影响,表面毛刺得到有效去除,纤维断面平整,剪切作用明显,抑制了由温升所引起的边缘隆起膨胀现象,试样的表面质量得到显著提高,切削力整体降低。在干切削和微量润滑条件下对制孔尺寸精度影响最大的是切削方式。对于切削力,在干切削时受到切削方式的影响最大,在微量润滑条件下受到进给速度的影响最大,随着进给速度的增大而增大。结论 在现有试验条件下,微量润滑的加工质量总体上优于干切削的加工质量,其制孔尺寸的精度整体更高,其切削力最大降低了84.26%。     

An experimental and numerical study on laser percussion drilling of thick-section alumina

A major challenge in laser percussion drilling of thick-section ceramics is to obtain a low taper and low spatter deposition hole leading to high quality post-processing. In order to achieve the fine hole drilling, it is important to understand the mechanism of laser percussion drilling. In this paper, an experimental and numerical study on laser percussion drilling was carried out. A two-dimension (2D) axisymmetric finite element (FE) model for simulation of temperature field and proceeding of hole formation during percussion drilling was developed. The FE model was validated by the corresponding experiment. Furthermore, a theoretical model for evaluation of temperature at melt front and velocity of melt ejection was presented in order to further validate the FE model and study the spatter deposition. The effects of laser peak power, pulse duty cycle and pulse repetition rate on hole diameter and spatter deposition were investigated by the developed models and experiments, in which the simulated results were in good agreement with the experiments. The study indicated that the size and temperature of the melt front significantly affected the hole diameter formation and spatter deposition during laser percussion drilling. The characteristic of melt front was mainly determined by the employed laser peak power, pulse repetition rate and pulse duty cycle. Based on the experimental and numerical study, the process parameters were optimised and a drilled-hole with low taper and low spatter deposition was obtained using a 3.5 kW CO₂ laser. A microstructural and element compositional study was also performed in this work, by which the characteristics of microstructure and element composition in HAZ around laser drilled hole were revealed.     

Experimental and theoretical investigation of fibre laser crack-free cutting of thick-section alumina

A major challenge in laser fusion cutting of thick-section ceramics is to overcome the thermal-stress induced cracking, which leads to catastrophic breakdown of the material integrity. In order to achieve crack-free cutting of ceramics, it is important to understand the mechanism of the transient temperature field and resulting stress distribution effect on crack formation. In this paper, both experimental and theoretical investigations are reported to understand crack formation characteristics in fibre laser cutting of thick-section Al₂O₃ ceramics. A three-dimensional (3D) finite element (FE) model for simulation of the transient temperature field and thermal-stress distribution together with material removal in laser cutting was developed. Crack formation characteristics were predicted by the model and validated by experiments. The effects of four process parameters i.e. laser peak power, pulse duration, pulse repetition rate and feed rate on temperature field, resulting stress distribution and potential crack formation were also investigated in this work. The study indicates that a transition from compressive to tensile stresses can be resulted in as the laser cutting parameters change, which is beneficial to resist the crack formation. Based on the experimental and numerical investigations, the process parameters were optimised and the fibre laser crack-free cutting of 6-mm-thick alumina was demonstrated for the first time.     

High-throughput drilling of titanium alloys

Experiments of high-throughput drilling of Ti–6Al–4V at 183 m/min cutting speed and 156 mm³/s material removal rate (MRR) using a 4 mm diameter WC–Co spiral point drill were conducted. The tool material and geometry and drilling process parameters, including cutting speed, feed, and fluid supply, were studied to evaluate the effect on drill life, thrust force, torque, energy, and burr formation. The tool wear mechanism, hole surface roughness, and chip light emission and morphology for high-throughput drilling were investigated. Supplying the cutting fluid via through-the-drill holes has proven to be a critical factor for drill life, which can be increased by 10 times compared to that of dry drilling at 183 m/min cutting speed and 0.051 mm/rev feed. Under the same MRR of 156 mm³/s with a doubled feed of 0.102 mm/rev (91 m/min cutting speed), over 200 holes can be drilled. The balance of cutting speed and feed is essential to achieve long drill life and good hole surface roughness. This study demonstrates that, using proper drilling process parameters, spiral point drill geometry, and fine-grained WC–Co tool material, the high-throughput drilling of Ti alloy is technically feasible.     

Hole quality assessment following drilling of metallic-composite stacks

The use of material stacks comprising titanium, carbon fibre reinforced plastics (CFRPs) and aluminium is expanding for structural aerospace applications, especially where high mechanical loads exist such as for aircraft wing and tail-plane components. Here, the production of bolt/fixation holes is essential to the manufacturing process in order to facilitate part assembly. The paper outlines an analysis of hole quality/integrity following drilling of titanium/CFRP/aluminium stacks under flood cutting fluid and spray mist environments. Uncoated and coated (CVD diamond and hardmetal) tungsten carbide drill performance is evaluated against key response measures including hole size, out of roundness, cylindricity, burr height, hole edge quality, average surface roughness (R_a), microhardness (of the metallic elements) and swarf morphology. Burr height (up to 0.5 mm) was observed to be greater at the hole exit (aluminium) compared to hole entry (titanium) while delamination was significantly reduced when machining CFRP in the stack configuration as opposed to a standalone arrangement. Spiral shaped continuous aluminium swarf was prevalent while both short and long helical chips were found with the titanium material when cutting wet. In contrast, the CFRP layer typically produced dusty black composite particles suspended in the soluble oil of the coolant emulsion.     

一种基于晶界硬化效应的微细切削本构模型

从细微晶粒层面考虑了跨晶界切削、切削颤振等问题,基于晶界硬化效应的霍尔-佩奇定律和常规金属切削本构模型,建立了一种包含材料晶粒平均粒径的微细切削本构模型。通过仿真和切削力试验,对模型的系数进行了修正。研究结果表明,晶粒平均粒径在0.07~0.20 mm时,晶界强化效应较为明显,当晶粒平均粒径超过0.20 mm时,微细切削本构模型对切削力的预测趋势逐渐趋近于常规金属切削本构模型。且随着晶粒平均粒径的增大,常规金属切削本构模型与微细切削本构模型的预测差值逐渐减小。试验数据与理论数据对比验证了微细切削本构模型的准确性。     

Scaling laws for the laser-oxygen cutting of thick-sheet mild steel

The laws of scaling the laser-oxygen cutting of mild steel based on experimental optimization are proposed. The sheets from 5 to 25 mm are cut with the aid of CO₂ laser.It has been established that the minimal surface roughness is reached within the whole thickness range if the laser energy value per unit of the removed material and the power per sheet thickness unit are held constant. The results permit to determine the laser power and cutting speed values optimal for a certain sheet thickness. Within the range of large thicknesses, the conditions of cutting with minimal roughness are written as ratios between dimensionless variables. Evaluation of the maximum thickness of the sheet, at which the high-quality cutting is realizable, has been made.     

Accuracy estimation of drilled holes with small diameter and influence of drill parameter on the machining accuracy when drilling in mild steel sheet

The miniaturization of component parts has advanced in the modern industrial product sector. Corresponding with this new wave, there is a strong demand for the establishment of minute-scale techniques to manufacture products with high quality involving the drilling of small holes. Non-traditional machining techniques such as electro discharge machining can be applied to make small holes. However, there is much practical value if small holes can be made by the traditional drilling process. In this paper, a method for estimating the drilled hole accuracy using a Fourier series analysis is proposed and this method is applied to small holes 1 mm in diameter drilled in mild steel for machine structure use. As a result, it is clarified that the bending rigidity of drill and the thinning of the drill point exert a large influence on the drilled hole accuracy.     

Laser trepanning of a small diameter hole in titanium alloy: Temperature and stress fields

High stresses formed around the laser cut edges limit the practical applications of the parts produced. In the present study, laser cutting of small diameter hole into Ti-6Al-4V alloy is carried out. Temperature and stress fields developed in the cutting region are simulated, in line with the experimental parameters, via incorporating the finite element code. The temperature predictions are validated with the thermocouple data. The residual stress developed at the vicinity of the cut surface is obtained using the XRD technique. The features of the hole section are examined using the optical and scanning electron microscopes. It is found that temperature decay is gradual, due to the annealing effect, in the region where the cutting ends; in which case, the peak value of von Mises stress reduces in this region. The residual stress predicted agrees well with the data obtained from the XRD technique.     

Enhancement of surface quality in ultrasonic machining of glass using a sacrificing coating

We present a new fabrication method that enables precision hole machining to be achieved by sacrificing the coating on the substrate in ultrasonic machining (USM). A hard wax coating is deposited on the glass substrate, and holes are precisely fabricated in the coated glass using USM. Finally, a wax coating is removed using a cleaning process. The wax coating protects the surface of the glass so that cracks are generated in the wax rather than on the surface. The surface accuracy of the glass substrate is evaluated at the hole entrance using the new tools in USM as a function of the thickness of the coating. The entrance diameters of the machined holes and the machining forces at the beginning of cutting are measured as a function of the thickness of the coating. The entrance cracks and out-of-roundness of the machined holes are generated in the sacrificed coating on the glass substrate; hence, the surface quality of the glass holes is enhanced in USM.     

A predictive model and validation of laser cutting of nitinol with a novel moving volumetric pulsed heat flux

Nitinol alloys are widely used in manufacturing of cardiovascular stents due to excellent biomechanical properties. Laser cutting is the predominant process for stent manufacturing. However, laser cutting induces thermal damage such as heat affected zone (HAZ), micro cracks, and tensile residual stress, which detrimentally affect product performance. Laser cutting induced temperature distribution, stress development, and HAZ formation are critical process characteristics. However, they are difficult to measure experimentally due to the highly transient process. To better understand the process mechanics in laser cutting of nitinol, a three-dimensional finite element model of pulsed laser cutting was developed to incorporate a novel moving volumetric pulsed heat flux model with high spatial accuracy. A material subroutine was also incorporated to model superelasticity and shape memory of nitinol. The predicted kerf geometry and dimensions agreed well with the experimental data. Also, the effects of cutting speed, pulse power, and pulse width on kerf profile, temperature, and heat affected zone (HAZ) were investigated.