Title: An analysis of mechanical micromachining

Authors: M.J. Jackson, G.M. Robinson, J.S. Morrell

Addresses: Centre for Advanced Manufacturing, MET, College of Technology, Purdue University, 401 North Grant Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2021, USA. ' Centre for Advanced Manufacturing, MET, College of Technology, Purdue University, 401 North Grant Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2021, USA. ' Centre for Advanced Manufacturing, MET, College of Technology, Purdue University, 401 North Grant Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2021, USA

Abstract: The analysis of the high-speed mechanical micro milling process is described in this paper. The present work not only compares various computational approaches to the solution of shear plane and tool face temperatures, but also explains why there is a difference when calculating temperatures generated during the micromachining process. The analysis shows that the computed temperature of the shear plane never exceeds 35°C when micro milling at spindle speeds in excess of 250,000 revolutions per minute. Machining AISI 1020 steel at significantly high speeds presents significant challenges to prevent the accelerated wear of the cutting tool that is caused by the frictional interactions between chip and tool and the nature of the intermittent contact. The analysis also shows the effect of coating at reducing the interface temperatures between chip and tool and concludes that each coating has very little effect at reducing temperature at the tool face and at the primary shear zone.

Keywords: micromachining; computational analysis; finite element analysis; FEA; high-speed milling; high-speed machining; shear plane temperature; tool face temperature; steel machining; interface temperatures; tool coatings.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNBM.2008.022871

International Journal of Nano and Biomaterials, 2008 Vol.1 No.4, pp.429 - 447

Published online: 31 Jan 2009 *

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