Experimental and theoretical investigation into simultaneous deburring of microchannel and cleaning of the cutting tool in micromilling

Abstract

High material removal rate, high resolution and reproducibility of micromilling make it a suitable process for making microfeatures on different materials. However, existence of unwanted protrusions or surface irregularities on the machined surface known as burrs demands some post-processing to make it qualify for end use. In addition, clogging of materials on the flute surface increases the effective edge radius and tool loading during polymer machining. In the present work, a new strategy is demonstrated for simultaneous deburring of microchannel and cleaning of cutting tool during micromilling of polymethyl methacrylate. The performance of the process has been further evaluated by milling of microchannels in oxygen-free high conductivity copper workpiece. Burr formation, surface roughness and tool loading have been found to be significantly reduced by using the proposed method. A theoretical study of the process has also been carried out to understand the mechanism of the proposed method.