Abstract
In the manufacturing of a medical device may occur the need to make a hole with a specific function. Among current methods, conventional drilling (CD) referred in this work as drilling (D) and helical milling (HM) are two options with different potential. When making the hole, it is important to choose the most suitable method to obtain the desired geometry and ensure the functionality of the device. This work aims to analyze surface parameters such as arithmetic average height (Ra), the maximum height of the profile (Rt), the average peak to valley height (RzDIN), chip formation and the geometric deviation of holes obtained by the previously referred manufacturing processes. The specimens, with cylindrical geometry, were made of titanium alloys, Ti-6Al-4V and Ti-6Al-7Nb, currently used in the manufacture of medical devices. For this purpose, holes were made in a machining center with different feed rates (F) for both methods and in the value of vertical step (ap) in HM. The results obtained demonstrate that at lower F and ap, HM presents better results. The Ti-6Al-7Nb alloy presents better roughness results compared to Ti-6Al-4V, validating it as a material able to be used in medical devices according to the fact that a lower roughness is associated with higher corrosion resistance and fewer fatigue problems derived from it in components. By the work carried out, it can be concluded that the roughness values obtained in HM are lower than those obtained by D making HM as a better option in hole making.
Highlights
Developed for use in the aeronautics industry, it was soon realized that titanium alloys had an enormous potential to be applied in other areas, such as medicine
These factors have a clear influence on the final roughness of the machined parts, which has a direct impact on the fatigue strength of the machined parts, as was demonstrated by Sun et al [2] in his work about the effects of D and helical milling (HM) on titanium alloys
This work aimed to evaluate the difference in terms of roughness, chip formation and dimensional deviation in holes obtained through two fabrication methods, D and HM in two titanium alloys currently used in the production of medical devices
Summary
Developed for use in the aeronautics industry, it was soon realized that titanium alloys had an enormous potential to be applied in other areas, such as medicine. High hardness, adhering particle formation at the cutting edge of the tool and the tendency to harden in the machined zone cause the titanium alloys to be considered difficult to machine [1]. Qin et al [4] concluded that HM cutting force is almost 1/5 compared D cutting force This led to a lower generation of high temperatures, a lower probability of occurrence of adhesion of the material to the tool with clear advantages in terms of tool life and less burr both at the entrance and at the exit of the hole, which removes the need for finishing operation such as reaming or countersinking
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