Defects of wave patterns from tungsten carbide/stainless steel brazed micro-end-milling for printed circuit board machining

Abstract

The increasing demand for green products and strategies has led to research on reducing manufacturing costs and energy consumptions. In this study, the brazing method was applied to the fabrication of a micro-end-mill for printed circuit board manufacturing, and the machining properties of the fabricated tools were experimentally investigated. A tungsten carbide cutting edge was brazed onto a stainless steel shank using silver filler, and this material rod was fabricated into a micro-end-mill with a diameter of 800 µm. Machining results for this micro-end-mill were observed via scanning electron microscopy, and an abnormal wave pattern was observed on the cutting surface when using the brazed tool. The woven structure of the workpiece is thought to be the cause of this phenomenon; the wave pattern can be removed by controlling the machining conditions. Since the brazing technique is readily applicable to micro-scale cutting tools, it is expected that these results will contribute to improved machining quality when using brazed micro-cutting tools, as well as improved manufacturing efficiency.