Micro-end milling of NiTi biomedical alloys, burr formation and phase transformation

This paper focuses on burr formation in micro-end milling of two Nickel-Titanium shape memory alloys (SMA), an austenitic and a martensitic NiTi. Phase transformation during machining was also examined. The experimental design approach was used to study the effect of cutting parameters on burr formation. The studied parameters were cutting speed, feed per tooth, depth and width of cut, 20 machining strategy and initial material phase of the NiTi alloy. Different types of burrs were formed during micro-end milling of NiTi alloys; it was observed that top burrs are the most important. The height of top burrs can reach values close to those of the depth of cut. Burrs were observed and characterized using a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), confocal and optical microscopes. The affected layer under the machined surface, and phase transformation 25 were investigated by using SEM. The results of the analysis of variance showed a significant formation of burrs, deeply influenced by the feed per tooth and width of cut. An increase in the feed per tooth and a decrease of width of cut tend to decrease the height and width of the top burr. In a thin layer under the machined surface, phase transformation was observed for the martensitic NiTi

Measurement of micro burr and slot widths through image processing: Comparison of manual and automated measurements in micro‐milling

In this study, the burr and slot widths formed after the micro‐milling process of Inconel 718 alloy were investigated using a rapid and accurate image processing method. The measurements were obtained using a user‐defined subroutine for image processing. To determine the accuracy of the developed imaging process technique, the automated measurement results were compared against results measured using a manual measurement method. For the cutting experiments, Inconel 718 alloy was machined using several cutting tools with different geometry, such as the helix angle, axial rake angle, and number of cutting edges. The images of the burr and slots were captured using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The captured images were processed with computer vision software, which was written in C++ programming language and open‐sourced computer library (Open CV). According to the results, it was determined that there is a good correlation between automated and manual measurements of slot and burr widths. The accuracy of the proposed method is above 91%, 98%, and 99% for up milling, down milling, and slot measurements, respectively. The conducted study offers a user‐friendly, fast, and accurate solution using computer vision (CV) technology by requiring only one SEM image as input to characterize slot and burr formation

Study of burr formation and phase transformation during micro-milling of NiTi alloys

Micro-milling can be defined as milling with end mills smaller than 1 mm of diameter. The top-down approach from milling to micro-milling is often used to define cutting conditions. Unfortunately geometries either for the active part or the overall shape are quite different from conventional tools, leading to inexistent problems at the macro-scale, such as a larger cutting edge radius to uncut chip thickness ratio leading to ploughing effect. Moreover, micro-milling can be used on particular material such as shape memory alloys in biomedical domain which are difficult to machine. This study focuses on burr formation during shoulder milling for two biocompatible NiTi alloys: a martensitic NiTi (shape memory effect) and an austenitic one (pseudo-elasticity effect). Design of experiment is used to highlight the influence of various parameters (cutting parameters and material phases) on the burr formation in micro-milling NiTi alloys. Burrs were observed and measured using confocal, optical and electronic microscopy and tend to be as large as shoulders dimensions. Material phase transformation was also examined. Analysis of variance emphasizes that the larger the feed per tooth and the smaller the width of cut are, the smaller the top burr is. Cutting strategy leads to different burr shape: up-milling burrs have a large curvature, whereas down-milling burrs are slightly bent. An affected layer of about 10 μm has been observed for the austenitic NiTi. The proposed experimental approach give the opportunity to study burr formation in micro-milling, the machinability of alloys or superelastic NiTi shape memory and a qualitative explanation of burr formation has been developed

Study of burr formation and phase transformation during micro-milling of NiTi alloys

Micro-milling can be defined as milling with end mills smaller than 1 mm of diameter. The top-down approach from milling to micro-milling is often used to define cutting conditions. Unfortunately geometries either for the active part or the overall shape are quite different from conventional tools, leading to inexistent problems at the macro-scale, such as a larger cutting edge radius to uncut chip thickness ratio leading to ploughing effect. Moreover, micro-milling can be used on particular material such as shape memory alloys in biomedical domain which are difficult to machine. This study focuses on burr formation during shoulder milling for two biocompatible NiTi alloys: a martensitic NiTi (shape memory effect) and an austenitic one (pseudo-elasticity effect). Design of experiment is used to highlight the influence of various parameters (cutting parameters and material phases) on the burr formation in micro-milling NiTi alloys. Burrs were observed and measured using confocal, optical and electronic microscopy and tend to be as large as shoulders dimensions. Material phase transformation was also examined. Analysis of variance emphasizes that the larger the feed per tooth and the smaller the width of cut are, the smaller the top burr is. Cutting strategy leads to different burr shape: up-milling burrs have a large curvature, whereas down-milling burrs are slightly bent. An affected layer of about 10 μm has been observed for the austenitic NiTi. The proposed experimental approach give the opportunity to study burr formation in micro-milling, the machinability of alloys or superelastic NiTi shape memory and a qualitative explanation of burr formation has been developed

Review on machining of additively manufactured nickel and titanium alloys

The machining of nickel and titanium-based superalloy components is very expensive and involves unusually high lead times compared with other engineering metals such as steels and aluminum. This has led to the development of most suitable additive manufacturing (AM) processes to fabricate these difficult-to-machine metals into near-net shape parts, thereby reducing the lead time and material waste, and significantly increasing productivity. Nonetheless, finish machining is still required on the AMed metal components to meet the dimensional and surface requirements of the application. Several research studies have investigated the machinability of AMed nickel and titanium alloy workpieces and have compared the results with the machining responses of wrought counterparts, which is detailed in this review. The categorization of the literature is based on the machining operations including turning, milling, drilling, and non-conventional machining, and the observations are discussed in accordance with various input parameters such as workpiece characteristics (hardness, microstructures) and anisotropy in mechanical properties due to build orientations during the AM process. Moreover, the influence of these parameters on cutting forces and temperatures, chip formation, and tool wear is analyzed and reported. From this review, it is found that the machinability of AMed nickel and titanium workpieces is quite different to the machining responses of their wrought counterparts. Further thorough experimentation is required to develop optimized machining parameters for AMed metal parts, while an exploration of different cutting tool geometries, coolant, and lubrication strategies for enhanced tool performance for machining AMed workpieces is essential. Finally, this study reviews the state of contemporary research, and offers suggestions for future research

A Micro-milling cutting force and chip formation modeling approach for optimal process parameters selection

Las últimas décadas evidencian una demanda creciente por componentes miniaturizados con dimensiones reducidas y tolerancias estrechas, lo cual ha conllevado al desarrollo de la micro y nanotecnología. El micro-fresado, dentro de los procesos de micro-mecanizado, tiene el potencial de ser uno de los procesos de remoción de material más costo-efectivos y eficientes debido a su facilidad de aplicación, variedad de materiales de trabajo y flexibilidad geométrica. Se enfrenta a unos retos complejos debido al efecto de tamaño, vibraciones y otros factores incontrolables. Este estudio analiza dicho proceso orientado hacia desarrollar una mejor comprensión de la mecánica del micro-corte para ser aplicada en la optimización de parámetros de proceso. Se propone un acercamiento al modelado híbrido en forma novedosa, que permite una evaluación numérica a priori para evaluación de fuerzas y esfuerzos, combinado con experimentación para evaluar parámetros relevantes a la industria (formación de rebabas, desgaste de herramientas, entre otros).DoctoradoDoctor en Ingeniería Mecánic

Manufacturing of high precision mechanical components

The main goal of the thesis is to analyze key aspects of Precision Manufacturing, aiming at optimizing critical manufacturing processes: innovative experimental methodologies and advanced modelling techniques will be applied to cases study of industrial interest which have been successfully optimized

Analysis, optimization, FE simulation of micro-cutting processes and integration between Machining and Additive Manufacturing.

La seguente Tesi di Dottorato riguarda i processi di Micro-Machining (MM) applicati su materiali ottenuti per fabbricazione additiva. I processi MM sono un insieme di tecnologie di produzione utilizzate per fabbricare componenti o realizzare features di piccole dimensioni. In generale, i processi di taglio sono caratterizzati da un'interazione meccanica tra un pezzo e un utensile che avviene lungo una determinata traiettoria. Il contatto determina una rottura del materiale lungo un percorso definito, ottenendo diverse forme del pezzo. Più precisamente, la denominazione di microlavorazione indica solo le lavorazioni di taglio eseguite utilizzando un utensile di diametro inferiore a 1 mm. La riduzione della scala dimensionale del processo introduce alcune criticità non presenti negli analoghi processi su scala convenzionale, come l'effetto dimensionale, la formazione di bave, la rapida usura dell'utensile, le forze di taglio superiori alle attese e l'eccentricità del moto dell'utensile. Negli ultimi decenni, diversi ricercatori hanno affrontato problemi relativi alla microlavorazione, ma pochi di loro si sono concentrati sulla lavorabilità dei materiali prodotti per Additive Manufacturing (AM). L’AM è un insieme di processi di fabbricazione strato per strato che possono essere impiegati con successo utilizzando polimeri, ceramica e metalli. L'AM dei metalli si sta rapidamente diffondendo nella produzione industriale trovando applicazioni in diversi rami, come l'industria aerospaziale e biomedica. D’altro canto, la qualità del prodotto finale non è comparabile con gli standard ottenibili mediante i metodi convenzionali di rimozione del materiale. Lo svantaggio principale dei componenti realizzati mediante AM è la bassa qualità della finitura superficiale e l'elevata rugosità; pertanto, sono solitamente necessari ulteriori trattamenti superficiali post-processo per adeguare le superfici del prodotto ai requisiti di integrità superficiale. L'integrazione tra le due tecnologie manifatturiere offre opportunità rilevanti, ma la necessità di ulteriori studi e indagini è evidenziata dalla mancanza di pubblicazioni su questo argomento. Questa ricerca mira ad esplorare diversi problemi connessi alla microlavorazione di leghe metalliche prodotte mediante AM. Le prove sperimentali sono state eseguite utilizzando il centro di lavoro ultrapreciso a 5 assi “KERN Pyramid Nano”, mentre i campioni AM sono stati forniti da aziende e gruppi di ricerca. L'attrezzatura sperimentale è stata predisposta per eseguire la micro-fresatura e per monitorare il processo in linea misurando la forza di taglio. Il comportamento di rimozione del materiale è stato studiato e descritto per mezzo di modelli analitici e simulazioni FEM. I metodi FE sono stati utilizzati anche per eseguire un confronto tra le forze di taglio previste e i carichi sperimentali, con lo scopo finale di affinare la legge di flusso dei materiali lavorati. La ricerca futura sarà focalizzata sulla simulazione FE dell'usura dell'utensile e dell'integrità della superficie del pezzo.This thesis is focused on Micro-Machining (MM) processes applied on Additively Manufactured parts. MM processes are a class of manufacturing technology designed to produce small size components. In general, cutting processes are characterized by a mechanical interaction between a workpiece and a tool. The contact determines a material breakage along a defined path, obtaining different workpiece shapes. More specifically, the micro-machining designation indicates only the cutting processes performed by using a tool with a diameter lower than 1 mm. The reduction of the process scale introduces some critical issues, such as size effect, burr formation, rapid tool wear, higher than expected cutting forces and tool run-out. In the last decades, several researchers have tackled micro-machining related issues, but few of them focused on workability of Additive Manufactured materials. Additive Manufacturing (AM) is a collection of layer-by-layer building processes which can be successfully employed using polymers, ceramics and metals. AM of metals is rapidly spreading throughout the industrial manufacturing finding applications in several branches, such as aerospace and biomedical industries. Moreover, the final product quality is not comparable with the standards achievable through the conventional subtractive material removal methods. The main drawback of additively manufactured components in metals is the low quality of the surface finish and the high surface roughness, therefore further post-process surface treatments are usually required to finish and to refine the surfaces of the build product. The embedding between the two technologies offers relevant opportunities, but the necessity of further studies and investigation is highlighted by the lack of publication about this topic. This research aimed to explore several micro-machining issues with regards to Additive Manufactured metals. Experimental tests were performed by using the ultraprecision 5-axes machining center “KERN Pyramid Nano”, while the AM samples were provided by companies and research groups. The experimental equipment was set-up to perform micro-milling and to monitor the process online by measuring the cutting force. The material removal behavior was investigated and described by means of analytical models and FEM simulations. FE methods were employed also to perform a comparison between the predicted cutting forces and the experimental loads, with the final purpose of refining the flow stress law of the machined materials. The future research will be focused on the FE simulation of the tool wear and the workpiece surface integrity by means of specific subroutines