Actual Feed Rate per Tooth at Micro Milling

Abstract:

Miniature structures can be produced economically by micro end milling as single parts or parts in small and medium lot sizes. The micro end milling process has to be analyzed particularly for the purpose of applying a well controlled and repeatable process. There are many specific characteristics in the micrometric scale of dimensions, whose role is negligible at the conventional processing technologies. One of these special features of micro end milling is the observation that the set value of the feed rate per tooth generally differs from the thickness of the actual removed material layer. Feed rate per tooth is practically defined as the distance, which is run by the edge lengthwise of the groove during one revolution of the tool. Accordingly the feed rate per tooth corresponds to the thickness of the material layer removed by one edge of the tool. This correspondence exists at conventional manufacturing methods but not at micro end milling. This fact is attended by more special features of the micro end milling process, which are multiple cutting, different machining conditions of the edges and tool deflection. This paper introduces the results of improvement of my earlier research on this field [1]. An enhanced flowchart was constructed, which provides the calculation of the thickness of the actual removed material layer at micro end milling under all possible circumstances.