4 research outputs found
Effect of LBM and large-area EBM finishing on micro-injection moulding surfaces
Micro-injection moulding is an efficient process
for large series production of thermoplastic polymer microparts.
The moulding surface quality in the moulds is
important and determines the manufacturing specifications
for a given micro-engineering component. In this study,
melting and vaporisation removal technologies were analysed:
laser beam machining (LBM) as the material removal
technique and electron beam machining (EBM) as the
finishing process. Stainless steel DIN X42Cr13 was used
for machining 10×10 mm2 flat surfaces. LBM parameters,
namely intensity, frequency, cutting depth, scanning speed
and hatching, and EBM conditions, as energy density,
number of irradiation and frequency, were varied. The
surface topography and integrity and the micro-structure
were characterised by optical and electronic microscopy,
roughness profilometry, X-ray spectroscopy and micro- and
ultrahardness tests. It was shown that the combination of
LBM and large-area EBM is an interesting alternative to
polishing by hand lapping of moulding surfaces for micromoulding,
improving surface roughness and surface integrity
without cracks and smaller HAZ. The morphology analysis
demonstrated that EBM finishing improves corrosion and
oxidation resistance compared with conventional heat treated
surfaces