An experimental approach to study the capability of end-milling for microcutting of glass

Glass is a hard and brittle material. It is finding mounting quantum of applications in semiconductor, opto-electronics, and mold manufacturing sectors. However, glass is not amenable to machining because of its low fracture toughness. If machined with conventional approach, the mechanism of material removal in machining of glass is fracture based that results into poor quality of the machined surface and imparts subsurface damage. In order to achieve superior surface finish, glass must be machined in ductile mode. Ductile-mode machining is now a well-established technique but most of the work has been performed with single-point cutting processes. To assess the capability of ductile-mode machining with multipoint cutting process, fundamental studies are highly desired. This paper reports the results of an experimental investigation into ductile-mode machining of glass by milling process. Side-milling tests have been performed on the glass workpiece to identify the key parameters governing the ductile-brittle transition mechanism. Experimental results demonstrate that fracture-free surface can be machined on glass by milling process. Cutting forces were analyzed to comprehend the dynamic behavior of the cutting process in ductile mode.