Abstract
With the increasing demand for the replication of structured optical elements such as Fresnel lenses and prism arrays, more attention is being paid to the development of ultra-precision diamond machining technology for the fabrication of die steel molds. However, the machining process would be a catastrophic failure because of rapid and excessive tool wear if a diamond tool is used to machine die steel. In the present paper, a micromachining method for fabricating microstructures on die steel using single crystal diamond tool is presented. The presented technology is based on a thermochemical technique that uses plasma nitriding treatment to suppress the rapid and excessive tool wear in the diamond machining of steel. Experimental findings revealed that severe chemical tool wear, which is the main wear mechanism in the diamond machining of steel, was reduced significantly after plasma nitriding treatment, and a mirror-quality surface with an average surface roughness of 20 nm root-mean-square (RMS) was achieved over a cutting distance of approximately 5.4 km. Furthermore, a Fresnel microstructure with surface roughness RMS better than 40 nm was precisely fabricated on AISI 4140 die steel using single crystal diamond tool.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.