Effects of electric discharge dressing parameters on polycrystalline diamond micro-tool surface topography and their micro-grinding performances

Polycrystalline diamond (PCD) micro-grinding tools are shaped by using different electro-discharge machining processes, among which wire electro-discharge grinding (WEDG) process is widely accepted due to its capability of producing highly precise, ultra-thin and dimensionally accurate tools. Observing the effects of different WEDG conditions on the tool surface and analyzing the tool's topographic features relevant to micro-grinding are of utmost importance. Current study deals with dressing of polycrystalline diamond tool blanks at different combinations of wire tension and discharge energy to observe the effects of dressing parameters on the tool surface morphology and statistics. Surface roughness, ridge type surface defects and diametrical error in the fabricated tool are analyzed with respect to discharge energy and wire tension. High wire tension produces tools with consistence surfaces and desired diameter. Binder material cobalt is efficiently melted and flushed out from the tool surface at high wire tension, which leads to proper segregation and protrusion of diamond abrasives from the surface. Static abrasive grit density measured by processing the 3D surface data of the tool is found to be ≈165–170 per mm, as compared to theoretically determined value of ≈200 per mm. Micro-slot grinding experiments are carried out on BK7 glass, to quantify the effects of the dressing parameters on the micro-grinding performances of the PCD micro-tools. Cutting forces for all the tools are found to be within 1 N whereas normal force exceeds beyond 1 N. Cutting forces are found to be higher for the tools dressed at high wire tension due to large diameter of the tool as compared to that of undersized tool obtained at low wire tension. Cutting nature is found to be mix of ductile-brittle for the machining conditions adopted in this paper.