The mechanics of machining at a very small depth of cut (100 nm or less) is not
well understood. The chip formation physics, cutting forces generation, resulting
temperatures and the size effects significantly affect the efficiency of the process
and the surface quality of the workpiece. In this paper, the cutting mechanics
at nanometric scale are investigated in comparison with conventional cutting
principles. Molecular Dynamics (MD) is used to model and simulate the nanometric
cutting processes. The models and simulated results are evaluated and
validated by the cutting trials on an atomic force microscope (AFM).
Furthermore, the conceptual design of a bench-type ultraprecision machine tool
is presented and the machine aims to be a facility for nanometric cutting of threedimensional
MEMS devices. The paper concludes with a discussion on the potential
and applications of nanometric cutting techniques/equipment for the
predictabilty, producibility and productivity of manufacturing at the nanoscale