Micro milling of copper thin wall structure

Abstract

A mathematical model of cutting force is established to illustrate the characteristics in micro milling process of copper thin wall structure. The deformation of thin wall is predicted by means of finite element analysis. Experiments are carried out to confirm the validity of the model in which a diamond-coated micro milling cutter with a 0.5-mm diameter is used. Deformation and micro burrs are induced using different parameters and machining methods. Experimental results show that the proposed mathematical model and analysis methods can effectively predict the machining deformation of a micro thin wall. There is a close correspondence between the position of applied load and deformation of a thin wall. Not only the sizes of burrs and deformation are smaller but also the quality is better for the down-milling of copper thin wall structure than the up-milling. With decreasing the cutting thickness, the surface quality is improved.