Study on the control of surface roughness in single point diamond turning

Abstract

Surface roughness in Single Point Diamond Turning (SPDT) is affected by a number of factors, which collectively contribute to the final finish of diamond-turned surface. This paper analyzes the dominant factors affecting surface roughness in SPDT. Considering the mechanism of SPDT, the generation of surface roughness is closely related to the material properties of workpieces, especially some material aspects such as anisotropy, impurity, inclusions and microstructures. The conditions of the tool such as the rake angle, the nose radius, the tool cutting edge waviness and the degree of wear exert significant influence on the surface roughness. The cutting process parameters, including the spindle speed and the depth of cut, especially the feed rate, influence the surface roughness as well, and the cutting conditions can be optimized for given materials and workpieces. The usage of mist also have to be considered carefully. Based on the analysis above, appropriate diamond tools are chosen, and cutting process parameters are optimized for particular workpieces, and some successful control of the surface roughness have been achieved for some materials such as Al alloy6061, Si, Ge, and KDP.