Rapid measurement of a high step microstructure with 90° steep sidewall

A prototype STM system with high aspect ratio measurement capability is developed to fulfill accurate profile measurement of a high step microstructure with 90° steep sidewall. Distinguished from the traditional STM, the new system consists of a long range piezoelectric (PZT) actuator with full stroke of 60 μm as Z-direction servo scanner, a specially customized high aspect ratio STM probe with effective tip length of 300 μm, and an X-Y motorized driven stage for planar scanning. A tilt stage is used to adjust the probe-sample relative angle to compensate the evitable non-parallel effects. Based on the new STM system, sample-tilt-scanning methodology is proposed for eliminating the scanning blind region between the probe and the microstructure. A high step microstructure with height of 23 μm, 90° steep sidewall and width of 50μm has been successfully measured. The slope angle of the sidewall has been achieved to be 85° and the step height at the rising edge and the trench depth at the falling edge are both measured to be 22.96 μm. The whole measuring process only spent less than 10 min. It provides an effective and nondestructive solution for the measurement of high step or deep trench microstructures. In addition, this work also opens the way for further study on sidewall roughness and the tip-sample interaction at the edge of the sidewall, which are highly valuable for fabrication and quality control of high step microstructures.     

Surface profile measurement of a sinusoidal grid using an atomic force microscope on a diamond turning machine

This paper describes the surface profile measurement of a XY-grid workpiece with sinusoidal microstructures using an atomic force microscope (AFM) on a diamond turning machine. The sinusoidal micro-structures, which are fabricated on an aluminum plate by fast tool servo-assisted diamond turning, are a superposition of periodic sine-waves along the X- and Y-directions (wavelength (XY): 150 μm, amplitude (Z): 0.25 μm). A linear encoder with a resolution of 0.5 nm is integrated into the AFM-head for accurate measurement of the Z-directional profile height in the presence of noise associated with the diamond turning machine. The spindle and the X-slide of the machine are employed to spirally scan the AFM-head over the sinusoidal grid workpiece. Experiments fabricating and measuring the sinusoidal grid workpiece are carried out after accurate alignment of the AFM cantilever tip with the spindle centerline.     

On-machine measurement of microtool wear and cutting edge chipping by using a diamond edge artifact

This paper presents precision on-machine measurement of microwear and microcutting edge chipping of the diamond tool used in a force sensor integrated fast tool servo (FS-FTS) mounted on a three-axis diamond turning machine. A diamond edge artifact with a nanometric sharpness is mounted on the machine spindle with its axis of rotation along the Z-axis to serve as a reference edge artifact. The diamond tool is placed in the tool holder of the FS-FTS to generate cutting motion along the Z-axis. By moving the X-slide on which the FS-FTS is mounted, the reference edge can be scanned by the diamond tool. During the scanning, the Z-directional position of the tool is closed-loop controlled by the FS-FTS in such a way that the contact force between the tool tip and the reference edge is kept constant based on the force sensor output of the FS-FTS. The tool edge contour can be obtained from the scan trace of the tool tip, whose X- and Z-directional coordinates are provided by the output of the linear encoder of the X-slide and that of the displacement sensor in the FS-FTS, respectively. Since the reference edge artifact has a good hardness and a nanometric sharpness to ensure the lateral resolution of measurement, a microwear on the cutting edge of the diamond tool can be indentified from the measured tool edge contour. Experiments of on-machine measurement of tool edge contour and microtool wear are carried out to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed system.     

SiC_p/Al复合材料的超精密车削试验

试验研究了碳化硅颗粒增强铝基复合材料(SiCp/Al)的超精密车削加工性能.使用扫描电镜(SEM)对已加工表面、切屑及其根部、刀具前/后刀面磨损带进行观察,使用表面粗糙度轮廓仪对各种切削条件下的加工表面粗糙度轮廓进行测试分析.结果表明,该材料的加工表面常残留微孔洞、微裂纹、坑洞、划痕、残留物突起及基体材料撕裂等微观缺陷,刀具几何参数、切削速度、进给量、增强颗粒尺寸和材料体积分数是影响表面粗糙度的主要因素.由于切削变形区微裂纹动态形成的作用,超精密切削该材料时一般形成锯齿型切屑.刀具-工件的相对振动、基体撕裂增强颗粒拔出、破碎、压入等是该材料超精密车削表面形成的主要机制.单晶金刚石(SCD)刀具主要发生微磨损、崩刃、剥落和磨粒磨损,聚晶金刚石(PCD)刀具主要发生磨粒磨损和粘结磨损.结论表明SiCp/Al的超精密切削加工性较差,但通过选择合适的工艺参数,体积分数为15%的SiCp/2024Al加工表面粗糙度Ra可达24.7 nm.     

A novel robust Gaussian filtering method for the characterization of surface generation in ultra-precision machining

A lot of research work has been focused on the study of the surface generation mechanisms in order to predict the surface topography and provide the optimal machined parameters based on the experiential understanding of relationship of machined conditions and surface features. Although the formation of novel geometrical product specification (GPS) and verification framework system promotes the relevant research work to new characterization methods and draft of international standards, relative little research work was conducted on the application of surface characterization techniques to ultra-precision machining which is very important to evaluate the surface quality. In this paper, a novel robust Gaussian filtering method (RGF) is proposed and used to characterize the surface topography of ultra-precision machined surfaces. Cubic B-spline and M-estimation are used to make the method reliable and robust. Based on the property comparisons of classical weighting functions, a novel auto-developed robust weighting function (ADRF) is defined to improve the robustness of RGF. To verify the characterization feasibility of the proposed method, computer simulation is used and then the real ultra-precision machined surfaces are analyzed. The experimental results indicate that the RGF method cannot only separate the surface components effectively on the whole measured area and but also eliminates the influence of freak outliers.     

Analysis and optimization of micro-geometry of miniature spur gears manufactured by wire electric discharge machining

This paper reports about the analysis and optimization of micro-geometry parameters (i.e. total profile deviation ‘F_a’ and accumulated pitch deviation ‘F_p’) of the wire electric discharge machined (WEDMed) fine-pitch miniature spur gears made of brass. Effects of four WEDM process parameters namely voltage, pulse-on time, pulse-off time and wire feed rate on the micro-geometry of the miniature gears were analyzed by conducting the experiments designed using Box–Behnken approach of response surface methodology (RSM). Analysis of variance study found all four input parameters significant. Larger deviations in profile and pitch were observed with higher values of the voltage and pulse-on time, and with lower values of wire feed rate and pulse-off time. Multi-performance optimization of WEDM parameters was done using the desirability analysis to minimize profile deviation and pitch deviation simultaneously. The values of F_a and F_p of the gear obtained by the confirmation experiment conducted at the optimized WEDM parameters were as 11.5 μm and 9.1 μm respectively. These values categorize the WEDMed gear having DIN quality number as 7 and 5 respectively for profile and pitch which are better than those obtained by the conventional miniature gear manufacturing processes.     

Vibration-resistant interference microscope with assistant focusing for on-machine measurement of surface topography

The interference microscope is a powerful tool for surface topography measurement, but its high sensitivity to vibration hinders its application to on-machine use. To measure surface roughness on a machine for the ultra-precision machining, a vibration-resistant interference microscope (VRIM) with an assistant focusing function is developed. The basic principle of VRIM is an error-compensated phase-shifting interferometry. An iterative algorithm is presented to calculate the surface phase with the phase shift amounts as unknown variables, where the phase shift amounts are calculated and compensated with least-squares method. A narrow bandwidth illumination is employed to alleviate coherence envelop influence, and a simplified intensity model is established to decouple the variables. Assisting the microscope to find fringe quickly, the focusing is realized by introducing an off-axis thin beam to generate two spots, of which their relative position relates to the defocus. The focusing method is directional and determinant, and has a large range up to 0.3 mm. In the vibration disturbances of 0.2 μm and 0.4 μm amplitudes over 0 Hz to 20 Hz frequency region, the roughness accuracy and repeatability of measuring an ultra-precision machined surface are both up to the sub-nanometer level. The developed instrument is applied to a single-point diamond turning machine and achieves a sub-nanometer accuracy and repeatability.     

Measurement and compensation of error motions of a diamond turning machine

This paper describes the measurement and compensation of error motions of a diamond turning machine for nanofabrication of large sinusoidal metrology grids. The diamond turning machine has a T-base design, which consists of a spindle with its rotation axis along the Z-direction and a cross-slide with its movement direction along the X-direction. A fast-tool-servo (FTS) unit is mounted on the X-slide to generate sinusoidal microstructures on a flat workpiece surface mounted on the spindle. The error motions of the X-slide and the spindle, which introduce Z-directional profile errors (out-of-flatness) on the grid surface, are measured and compensated. The out-of-straightness of the X-slide is measured to be approximately 60 nm over a travel of 80 mm by using the reversal method. It is also confirmed that the out-of-straightness of the X-slide has a 10-nm periodic component with a period of 11 mm corresponding to the diameter of the needles used in the roller bearing of the X-slide. The angular motion of the spindle is measured to be approximately 0.3″ by using an autocollimator, which can cause a 73-nm out-of-flatness over a workpiece 100 mm in diameter. The axial motion of the spindle is measured to be approximately 5 nm, which is the smallest error motion. The out-of-flatness of the workpiece is reduced from 0.27 to 0.12 μm through compensating for the error motions by utilizing the FTS unit based on the measurement results of error motions.     

Prioritization analysis and compensation of geometric errors for ultra-precision lathe based on the random forest methodology

Geometric errors remarkably affect the dimensional accuracy of parts manufactured by ultra-precision machining. It is vital to consider the workpiece shape for the identification of crucial error types. This research investigates the prioritization analysis of geometric errors for arbitrary curved surfaces by using random forest. By utilizing multi-body system (MBS) theory, a volumetric error model is initially established to calculate tool position errors. An error dataset, which contains information of 21 geometric errors, workpiece shape, and dimensional errors, is then constructed by discretizing the workpiece surface along the tool path. The problem of identifying crucial geometric errors is translated into another problem of feature selection by applying random forest on the error dataset. Moreover, the influence extent of each geometric error on the dimensional accuracy of four typical curved surfaces is analyzed through numerical simulation, and crucial geometric errors are identified based on the proposed method. Then, an iterative method of error compensation is proposed to verify the reasonability of the determined crucial geometric errors by specifically compensating them. Finally, under compensated and uncompensated conditions, two sinusoidal grid surfaces are machined on an ultra-precision lathe to validate the prioritization analysis method. Findings show that the machining accuracy of the sinusoidal grid surface with crucial geometric error compensation is better than that without compensation.     

Tool Wear in Ultra-Precision Diamond Cutting of Non-Ferrous Metals with a Round-Nose Tool

Tool wear causes the loss of the original profile accuracy of the cutting edge and degrades the form accuracy of machined surfaces. The purpose of this research is to clarify the tool-wear mechanism and its effect on machining accuracy in ultra-precision diamond cutting with a round-nose tool. Controlled cutting tests of Al 6061 were performed on a two-axis, ultra-precision turning machine. Single-crystal diamond tools were used in the experiment. The tool-wear pattern was studied based on the observation of the wear zone using a scanning electron microscope. The topographic characteristics of the chips were examined and the effect of the micro-cutting geometry on the tool wear was investigated theoretically and experimentally. The mutual effects of crystallographic dependence of wear resistance of diamonds and the change in the cutting velocity during machining are believed to be the main reasons causing uneven wear along the cutting edge. Measures for reducing the effect of tool wear are also discussed.     

Pitch deviation measurement of an involute spur gear by a rotary profiling system

This paper presents surface-profiling based gear pitch deviation measurement for an involute spur gear. A rotary profiling system, which consists of an air-bearing spindle and a displacement sensor with a diamond stylus, is employed to measure gear pitch deviation. In measurement of gear pitch deviation, an eccentric error between a gear axis and a motion axis of the rotary stage in the profiling system would affect accuracy of gear profile measurement. In this paper, at first, the influence of the eccentric error on measurement of gear pitch deviation is estimated in computer simulation based on a geometric model of the profiling system. After that, a new scanning method named “opposite-direction dual scanning method” is proposed so that a steep profile of gear flank surface with a local slope of up to 90° can be measured by the developed rotary profiling system. For compensating distortions in the measured gear tooth profile, which are induced not only by the eccentric error but also by a probe offset introduced by the proposed scanning method, a self-calibration and compensation method is applied. To verify the feasibility of the proposed method, measurement of gear pitch deviation of a master involute spur gear with a certificate data is carried out. Measurement uncertainty of the proposed method is also analyzed.     

Development of high-precision micro-coordinate measuring machine: Multi-probe measurement system for measuring yaw and straightness motion error of XY linear stage

Today, with the development of microsystem technologies, demands for three-dimensional (3D) metrologies for microsystem components have increased. High-accuracy micro-coordinate measuring machines (micro-CMMs) have been developed to satisfy these demands. A high-precision micro-CMM (M-CMM) is currently under development at the National Metrology Institute of Japan in the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), in collaboration with the University of Tokyo. The moving volume of the M-CMM is 160 mm × 160 mm × 100 mm (XYZ), and our aim is to achieve 50-nm measurement uncertainty with a measuring volume of 30 mm × 30 mm × 10 mm (XYZ). The M-CMM configuration comprises three main parts: a cross XY-axis, a separate Z-axis, and a changeable probe unit. We have designed a multi-probe measurement system to evaluate the motion accuracy of each stage of the M-CMM. In the measurement system, one autocollimator measures the yaw error of the moving stage, while two laser interferometers simultaneously probe the surface of a reference bar mirror that is fixed on top of an XY linear stage. The straightness motion error and the reference bar mirror profile are reconstructed by the application of simultaneous linear equations and least-squares methods. In this paper, we have discussed the simulation results of the uncertainty value of the multi-probe measurement method using different intervals and standard deviations of the laser interferometers. We also conducted pre-experiments of the multi-probe measurement method for evaluating the motion errors of the XY linear stage based on a stepper motor system. The results from the pre-experiment verify that the multi-probe measurement method performs the yaw and straightness motion error measurement extremely well. Comparisons with the simulation results demonstrate that the multi-probe measurement method can also measure the reference bar mirror profile with a small standard deviation of 10 nm.     

Aspects of tactile probing on the micro scale

This paper discusses the aspects that influence the interaction between a probe tip and a work piece during tactile probing in a coordinate measuring machine (CMM). Measurement instruments are sensitive to more than one physical quantity. When measuring the topography of a work piece, the measurement result will therefore always be influenced by the environment and (local) variations in the work piece itself. A mechanical probe will respond to both topography and changes in the mechanical properties of the surface, e.g. the Young's modulus and hardness. An optical probe is influenced by the reflectivity and optical constants of the work piece, a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) responds to the electrical properties of the work piece and so on (Franks, 1991 [1]).The trend of component miniaturization results in a need for 3-dimensional characterization of micrometer sized features to nanometer accuracy. As the scale of the measurement decreases, the problems associated with the surfaceprobe interactions become increasingly apparent (Leach et al., 2001 [2]). The aspects of the interaction that are discussed include the deformation of probe tip and work piece during contact, surface forces during single point probing and scanning, dynamic excitation of the probe, synchronization errors, microfriction, tip rotations, finite stiffness effects, mechanical filtering, anisotropic stiffness, thermal effects and probe repeatability.These aspects are investigated using the Gannen XP 3D tactile probing system developed by Xpress Precision Engineering using modeling and experimental verification of the effects. The Gannen XP suspension consists of three slender rods with integrated piezo resistive strain gauges. The deformation of the slender rods is measured using the strain gauges and is a measure for the deflection of the probe tip. It is shown that the standard deviation in repeatability is 2 nm in any direction and over the whole measurement range of the probe. Finally, this probe has an isotropic stiffness of 480 N/m and a moving mass below 25 mg.     

Machining accuracy improvement for a dual-spindle ultra-precision drum roll lathe based on geometric error analysis and calibration

This paper performs a comprehensive analysis and calibration on the geometric error of the ultra-precision drum roll lathe with dual-spindle symmetrical structure and cross slider layout. Firstly, the volumetric error model which contains all geometric errors of the dual-spindle ultra-precision drum roll lathe (DSUPDRL) is developed based on the combination of the homogenous transfer matrix (HTM) and multi-body system (MBS) theory. Secondly, sensitivity analysis for the volumetric error model is conducted to identify the sensitive geometric error components of the DSUPDRL using an improved Sobol method based on the quasi-Monte Carlo algorithm. The result of sensitivity analysis laid the foundation for the subsequent geometric error calibration. Then, some sensitive error components along the X and Z directions are calibrated using a laser interferometer and a pair of inductance displacement probes. Besides the volumetric error model, the concentricity error caused by dual-spindle symmetrical structure is proposed and calibrated by the on-machine measurement using a classic reversal method. Finally, a large-scale roller mold with a diameter of 250 mm and a length of 600 mm is machined using the DSUPDRL after calibration. The experimental result shows that 1.4 μm/600 mm generatrix accuracy is obtained, which validate the effectiveness of the geometric error analysis and calibration.     

Fiber optic displacement sensor for imaging of tooth surface roughness

A simple and inexpensive method using fiber optic displacement sensor is proposed for measurements of tooth surface roughness based on the intensity modulation technique. A light beam was launched onto a tooth surface via a bundled fiber. The reflected light from the surface was collected and measured as a function of lateral distance to estimate the roughness of the surface. The system’s roughness measurement capability was successfully tested on teeth surfaces of varying surface texture. In the measurement, the average surface roughness, R_a for the canine, molar, hybrid composite resin and artificial teeth surfaces were estimated to be approximately 121, 62.6, 39 and 37.6 μm, respectively. The experimental results indicated the capability of implementation of the displacement sensor for the imaging of the tooth surface profile as well as a micron-size roughness estimator with a measurement error of less than 2.35%.     

Algorithms and machining experiments to reduce depth errors in servo scanning 3D micro EDM

In servo-scanning 3D micro electro discharge machining (SS-3D MEDM), the depth errors of 3D micro cavities are accumulated layer by layer due to the contour scanning process with keeping discharge gap for compensating axial electrode wear in real time. In this research, the errors’ causes were analyzed, and then a layer depth constrained algorithm (LDCA) and an S-curve accelerating algorithm (SCAA) were proposed to reduce the depth errors. By LDCA, over-cutting errors can be avoided by controlling a tool-electrode feed maximum at every scanning spot. As a supplementary algorithm for LDCA, SCAA can compensate insufficient-machining errors at start and end of scanning paths. Implementation process and control strategy of the algorithms were also described. The purpose of this research is to efficiently machine complex 3D micro-cavities with high accuracies of shape and surface. By use of computer-aided manufacturing software of Pro/Engineer to plan complex 3D scanning paths, machining experiments were carried out to verify the proposed algorithms. The experimental results show: Typical 3D micro cavities <800 μm can be automatically machined, and the machining accuracies of micro surfaces and edges are obviously improved, and the depth errors can be controlled within 2 μm, and the material removal rate reaches 2.0 × 10⁴ μm³/s with tool electrode of ∅80 μm and its rotational speed of 1000 r/min. In addition, the 3D micro cavities designed on unknown edge or hollow workpieces can be successfully formed.     

Investigation of diamond cutting tool lapping system based on on-machine image measurement

The profile tolerance of diamond cutting tool??s edge is one of the key factors in affecting machining accuracy. With the development of ultra-precision machining technology for optical free-form surfaces and optical microstructures, the demand for high-precision round nose diamond cutting tools is increasing. In this study, an on-machine image processing approach is applied to cutting edge geometry truing process, and profile data of cutting edge in sub-pixel precision is acquired using a series of image processing methods. According to the profile captured, the deviation from an ideal cutting edge is calculated and feedbacked to the controller. The lapping system is employed to lap the cutting edge pertinently using the deviation and the corresponding position captured, and the round edge of high accuracy is obtained efficiently. This method can avoid the error caused by the process of refixturing for offline measurement in the traditional lapping method of diamond cutting tool and reduce the influence of human factors. A truing experiment for cutting edge of the monocrystal diamond cutting tool is carried out at the developed lapping system based on on-machine image measurement, and round cutting edge of profile tolerance less than or equal to ±0.5???m is achieved.     

Micro/nano sculpturing of hardened steel by controlling vibration amplitude in elliptical vibration cutting

A new ultra-precision sculpturing method in micro/nano scale for difficult-to-cut materials is proposed in the present research. Elliptical vibration cutting technology is well-known for its excellent performance in achieving ultra-precision machining of steel materials with single crystal diamond tools. Elliptical vibration locus is generally controlled and held to a constant in practice. On the contrary, the proposed method utilizes the variations of the elliptical vibration locus in a positive manner. Depth of cut can be actively controlled in elliptical vibration cutting by controlling vibration amplitude in the thrust direction. By utilizing this as a fast tool servo function in elliptical vibration cutting, high performance micro/nano sculpturing can be attained without using conventional fast tool servo technology. A high-speed amplitude control system is developed for elliptical vibration, with a bandwidth of more than 300 Hz, where the vibration amplitude can be controlled within 4 μm_p-p. The developed control system is applied to sculpturing ultra-precision nano textured grooves on hardened steel with single crystal diamond tools. It is confirmed that the textured grooves have the desired shapes, and their profiles agree well with the vibration amplitude commands input to the control system. Further, a high performance micro/nano sculpturing system for plane surfaces is developed, where the vibration amplitude is controlled in synchronization with the planing motion of an ultra-precision machine tool. Nano sculpturing experiments on hardened steel, carried out by the developed system, are reported, as well as consequent picture images and a variety of dimple patterns that were formed successfully on the hardened steel as nano-scale sculptures.     

Investigations on machined metal surfaces through the stylus type and optical 3D instruments and their mathematical modeling with the help of statistical techniques

The measurement of roughness on machined metal surfaces is of considerable importance to manufacturing industries as the roughness of a surface has a significant influence on its quality and function of products. In this paper, an experimental approach for surface roughness measurement has been based on the comparison of roughness values taken from the stylus and optical type instruments on the machined metal surfaces (turning, grinding and milling) is presented.Following this experimental study, all measured surface roughness parameters have been analyzed by using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS 15.0) statistically and mathematical models for the two most important and commonly used roughness parameters R_a and R_z have been developed so that R_a = R_a (F, P, C) and R_z = R_z (F, P, C, M), whereas F expresses feed, P periodicity, C contrast and M the type of material. The statistical results from numerous tests showed that there has been a correlation between the surface roughness and the properties of the surface topography and there have been slight differences among three measurement instruments on machined metal surfaces in this experimental study.     

Accurate evaluation of free-form surface profile error based on quasi particle swarm optimization algorithm and surface subdivision

Although significant progress has been made in precision machining of free-form surfaces recently, inspection of such surfaces remains a difficult problem. In order to solve the problem that no specific standards for the verification of free-form surface profile are available, the profile parameters of free-form surface are proposed by referring to ISO standards regarding form tolerances and considering its complexity and non-rotational symmetry. Non-uniform rational basis spline(NURBS) for describing free-form surface is formulated. Crucial issues in surface inspection and profile error verification are localization between the design coordinate system(DCS) and measurement coordinate system(MCS) for searching the closest points on the design model corresponding to measured points. A quasi particle swarm optimization(QPSO) is proposed to search the transformation parameters to implement localization between DCS and MCS. Surface subdivide method which does the searching in a recursively reduced range of the parameters u and v of the NURBS design model is developed to find the closest points. In order to verify the effectiveness of the proposed methods, the design model is generated by NURBS and the measurement data of simulation example are generated by transforming the design model to arbitrary position and orientation, and the parts are machined based on the design model and are measured on CMM. The profile errors of simulation example and actual parts are calculated by the proposed method. The results verify that the evaluation precision of freeform surface profile error by the proposed method is higher 10%-22% than that by CMM software. The proposed method deals with the hard problem that it has a lower precision in profile error evaluation of free-form surface.