Precipitates Generation Mechanism and Surface Quality Improvement for Aluminum Alloy 6061 in Diamond Cutting

To improve the surface quality for aluminum alloy 6061(Al6061) in ultra-precision machining, we investigated the factors affecting the surface finish in single point diamond turning(SPDT)by studying influence of the precipitates generation of Al6061 on surface integrity and surface roughness.Based on the Johnson-Mehl-Avrami solid phase transformation kinetics equation, theoretical and experimental studies were conducted to build the relationship between the aging condition and the type, size and number of the precipitates for Al6061. Diamond cutting experiments were conducted to machine Al6061 samples under different aging conditions. The experimental results show that, the protruding on the chip surface is mainly Mg_(2)Si and the scratches on the machined surface mostly come from the iron-containing phase(α-, β-AlFeSi).Moreover, the generated Mg_(2)Si and α-, β-AlFeSi affect the surface integrity and the diamond turned surface roughness. Especially, the achieved surface roughness in SPDT is consistent with the variation of the number of AlFeSi and Mg_(2)Si with the medium size(more than 1 μm and less than 2 μm) in Al6061.

Numerical simulation of materials-oriented ultra-precision diamond cutting:review and outlook

Ultra-precision diamond cutting is a promising machining technique for realizing ultra-smooth surface of different kinds of materials.While fundamental understanding of the impact of workpiece material properties on cutting mechanisms is crucial for promoting the capability of the machining technique,numerical simulation methods at different length and time scales act as important supplements to experimental investigations.In this work,we present a compact review on recent advancements in the numerical simulations of material-oriented diamond cutting,in which representative machining phenomena are systematically summarized and discussed by multiscale simulations such as molecular dynamics simulation and finite element simulation:the anisotropy cutting behavior of polycrystalline material,the thermo-mechanical coupling tool-chip friction states,the synergetic cutting responses of individual phase in composite materials,and the impact of various external energetic fields on cutting processes.In particular,the novel physics-based numerical models,which involve the high precision constitutive law associated with heterogeneous deformation behavior,the thermo-mechanical coupling algorithm associated with tool-chip friction,the configurations of individual phases in line with real microstructural characteristics of composite materials,and the integration of external energetic fields into cutting models,are highlighted.Finally,insights into the future development of advanced numerical simulation techniques for diamond cutting of advanced structured materials are also provided.The aspects reported in this review present guidelines for the numerical simulations of ultra-precision mechanical machining responses for a variety of materials.

Tool Wear and Its Effect on Surface Roughness in Diamond Cutting of Glass Soda-lime

For the technology of diamond cutting of optical glass, the high tool wear rate is a main reason for hindering the practical application of this technology. Many researches on diamond tool wear in glass cutting rest on wear phenomenon describing simply without analyzing the genesis of wear phenomenon and interpreting the formation process of tool wear in mechanics. For in depth understanding of the tool wear and its effect on surface roughness in diamond cutting of glass, experiments of diamond turning with cutting distance increasing gradually are carried out on soda-lime glass. The wear morphology of rake face and flank face, the corresponding surface features of workpiece and the surface roughness, and the material compositions of flank wear area are detected. Experimental results indicate that the flank wear is predominant in diamond cutting glass and the flank wear land is characterized by micro-grooves, some smooth crater on the rake face is also seen. The surface roughness begins to increase rapidly, when the cutting mode changes from ductile to brittle for the aggravation of tool wear with the cutting distance over 150 m. The main mechanisms of inducing tool wear in diamond cutting of glass are diffusion, mechanical friction, thermo-chemical action and abrasive wear. The proposed research makes analysis and research from wear mechanism on the tool wear and its effect on surface roughness in diamond cutting of glass, and provides theoretical basis for minimizing the tool wear in diamond cutting brittle materials, such as optical glass.

Scratching and Turning Experiments on Machinability of Optical Glass SF6 in Diamond Cutting Process

To improve the machinability of optical glass and achieve optical parts with satisfied surface quality and dimensional accuracy, scratching experiments with increasing cutting depth were conducted on glass SF6 to evaluate the influence of cutting fluid properties on the machinability of glass. The sodium carbonate solution of 10.5% concentration was chosen as cutting fluid. Then the critical depths in scratching experiments with and without cutting fluid were examined. Based on this, turning experiments were carried out, and the surface quality of SF6 was assessed. Compared with the process of dry cutting, the main indexes of surface roughness decrease by over 70% totally. Experimental results indicated that the machinability of glass SF6 can be improved by using the sodium carbonate solution as cutting fluid.

Cutting path-dependent machinability of SiCp/Al composite under multi-step ultra-precision diamond cutting

Particle-tool interactions,which govern the synergetic deformation of SiC particle reinforced Al matrix composites under mechanical machining,strongly depend on the geometry of particle position residing on cutting path.In the present work,we investigate the influence of cutting path on the machinability of a SiCp/Al composite in multi-step ultra-precision diamond cutting by combining finite element simulations with experimental observations and characterization.Be consistent with experimentally characterized microstructures,the simulated SiCp/Al composite is considered to be composed of randomly distributed polygonally-shaped SiC particles with a volume fraction of 25 vol%.A multi-step cutting strategy with depths of cut ranging from 2 to 10 lm is adopted to achieve an ultimate depth of cut of 10 lm.Intrinsic material parameters and extrinsic cutting conditions utilized in finite element simulations of SiCp/Al cutting are consistent with those used in corresponding experiments.Simulation results reveal different particle-tool interactions and failure modes of SiC particles,as well as their correlations with machining force evolution,residual stress distribution and machined surface topography.A detailed comparison between numerical simulation results and experimental data of multi-step diamond cutting of SiCp/Al composite reveals a substantial impact of the number of cutting steps on particle-tool interactions and machined surface quality.These findings provide guidelines for achieving high surface finish of SiCp/Al composites by ultra-precision diamond cutting.

Anisotropy-Related Machining Characteristics in Ultra-Precision Diamond Cutting of Crystalline Copper

Deformation behavior at grain levels greatly affects the machining characteristics of crystalline materials.In the present work,we investigate the influence of material anisotropy on ultra-precision diamond cutting of single crystalline and polycrystalline copper by experiments and crystal plasticity finite element simulations.Specifically,diamond turning and in situ SEM orthogonal cutting experiments are carried out to provide direct experimental evidence of the material anisotropy-dependent cutting results in terms of machined surface morphology and chip profile.Corresponding numerical simulations with the analysis of built stress further validate experimental results and reveal the mechanisms governing the material anisotropy influence.The above findings provide insight into the fabrication of ultra-smooth surfaces of polycrystalline metals by ultraprecision diamond turning.

Approach for Polishing Diamond Coated Complicated Cutting Tool: Abrasive Flow Machining(AFM)

Lower surface roughness and sharper cutting edge are beneficial for improving the machining quality of the cut?ting tool, while coatings often deteriorate them. Focusing on the diamond coated WC?Co milling cutter, the abrasive flow machining(AFM) is selected for reducing the surface roughness and sharpening the cutting edge. Comparative cutting tests are conducted on di erent types of coated cutters before and after AFM, as well as uncoated WC?Co one, demonstrating that the boron?doped microcrystalline and undoped fine?grained composite diamond coated cutter after the AFM(AFM?BDM?UFGCD) is a good choice for the finish milling of the 6063 Al alloy in the present case, because it shows favorable machining quality close to the uncoated one, but much prolonged tool lifetime. Besides, compared with the micro?sized diamond films, it is much more convenient and e cient to finish the BDM?UFGCD coated cutter covered by nano?sized diamond grains, and resharpen its cutting edge by the AFM, owing to the lower initial surface roughness and hardness. Moreover, the boron incorporation and micro?sized grains in the underly?ing layer can enhance the film?substrate adhesion, avoid the rapid film removal in the machining process, and thus maximize the tool life(1040 m, four times more than the uncoated one). In general, the AFM is firstly proposed and discussed for post?processing the diamond coated complicated cutting tools, which is proved to be feasible for improving the cutting performance

Investigation of Surface Micro Waviness in Single Point Diamond Fly Cutting

Single point diamond fly cutting is widely used in the manufacture of large-aperture ultra-precision optical elements. However,some micro waviness( amplitude about 30 nm,wavelength about 15 mm) along the cutting direction which will decrease the quality of the optical elements can always be found in the processed surface,and the axial vibration of the spindle caused by the cut-in process is speculated as the immediate cause of this waviness. In this paper,the analytical method of dynamic mesh is applied for simulating the dynamic behavior of the vertical spindle. The consequence is then exerted to the fly cutter and the processed surface profile is simulated. The wavelength of the simulation result coincides well with the experimental result which proves the importance of the cut-in process during the single point diamond fly cutting.

Experimental Investigation and Numerical Simulation on Interfacial Carbon Diffusion of Diamond Tool and Ferrous Metals

We numerically simulated and experimentally studied the interfacialcarbon diffusion between diamond tooland workpiece materials.A diffusion modelwith respect to carbon atoms of diamond toolpenetrating into chips and machined surface was established.The numericalsimulation results of the diffusion process revealthat the distribution laws of carbon atoms concentration have a close relationship with the diffusion distance,the diffusion time,and the originalcarbon concentration of the work material.In addition,diamond face cutting tests of die steels with different carbon content are conducted at different depth of cuts and feed rates to verify the previous simulation results.The micro-morphology of the chips is detected by scanning electron microscopy.Energy dispersive X-ray analysis was proposed to investigate the change in carbon content of the chips surface.The experimentalresults of this work are of benefit to a better understanding on the diffusion wear mechanism in single crystaldiamond cutting of ferrous metals.Moreover,the experimentalresults show that the diffusion wear of diamond could be reduced markedly by applying ultrasonic vibration to the cutting toolcompared with conventionalturning.

Recent advancements in optical microstructure fabrication through glass molding process

Optical microstructures are increasingly applied in several fields, such as optical systems, precision measurement, and microfluid chips. Microstructures include microgrooves, microprisms, and microlenses. This paper presents an overview of optical microstructure fabrication through glass molding and highlights the applications of optical microstructures in mold fabrication and glass molding. The glass-mold interface friction and adhesion are also discussed. Moreover, the latest advance- ments in glass molding technologies are detailed, including new mold materials and their fabrication methods, viscoelastic constitutive modeling of glass, and micro- structure molding process, as well as ultrasonic vibration- assisted molding technology.