Review on the progress of ultra-precision machining technologies

Ultra-precision machining technologies are the essential methods, to obtain the highest form accuracy and surface quality. As more research findings are published, such technologies now involve complicated systems engineering and been widely used in the production of components in various aerospace, national defense, optics, mechanics, electronics, and other high-tech applications. The conception, applications and history of ultra-precision machining are introduced in this article, and the develop- ments of ultra-precision machining technologies, espe- cially ultra-precision grinding, ultra-precision cutting and polishing are also reviewed. The current state and problems of this field in China are analyzed. Finally, the development trends of this field and the coping strategies employed in China to keep up with the trends are discussed.

Cutting edge preparation of microdrills by shear thickening polishing for improved hole quality in electronic PCBs

Printed circuit boards(PCBs)are representative composite materials,and their high-quality drilling machining remains a persistent challenge in the industry.The finishing of the cutting edge of a microdrill is crucial to drill performance in machining fine-quality holes with a prolonged tool life.The miniature size involving submicron scale geometric dimensions,a complex flute shape,and low fracture toughness makes the cutting edge of microdrills susceptible to breakage and has been the primary limiting factor in edge preparation for microdrills.In this study,a newly developed cutting edge preparation method for microdrills was tested experimentally on electronic printed circuit boards.The proposed method,namely,shear thickening polishing,limited the cutting edge burrs and chipping on the cutting edge,and this in turn transformed the cutting edge’s radius from being sharp to smooth.Moreover,the edge–edge radius could be regulated by adjusting the processing time.PCB drilling experiments were conducted to investigate the influence of different cutting edge radii on wear,hole position accuracy,nail head value,and hole wall roughness.The proposed approach showed 20%enhancement in hole position accuracy,33%reduction in the nail head value,and 19%reduction in hole wall roughness compared with the original microdrill.However,a threshold is needed;without it,excessive shear thickening polishing will result in a blunt edge,which may accelerate the wear of the microdrill.Wear was identified as the primary factor that reduced hole quality.The study indicates that in printed circuit board machining,microdrills should effectively eliminate grinding defects and maintain the sharpness of the cutting edge as much as possible to obtain excellent drilling quality.Overall,shear thickening polishing is a promising method for cutting edge preparation of microdrills.Further research and optimization can lead to additional improvements in microdrill performance and contribute to the continued advancement of printed circuit board manufacturing.

Processing of high-precision ceramic balls with a spiral V-groove plate

As the demand for high-performance bearings gradually increases, ceramic balls with excellent proper- ties, such as high accuracy, high reliability, and high chemical durability used, are extensively used for high- performance bearings. In this study, a spiral V-groove plate method is employed in processing high-precision ceramic balls. After the kinematic analysis of the ball-spin angle and enveloped lapping trajectories, an experimental rig is constructed and experiments are conducted to confirm the feasibility of this method. Kinematic analysis results indicate that the method not only allows for the control of the ball-spin angle but also uniformly distributes the enveloped lapping trajectories over the entire ball surface. Experimental results demonstrate that the novel spiral V- groove plate method performs better than the conventional concentric V-groove plate method in terms of roundness, surface roughness, diameter difference, and diameter decrease rate. Ceramic balls with a G3-1evel accuracy are achieved, and their typical roundness, minimum surface roughness, and diameter difference are 0.05, 0.0045, and 0.105 μm, respectively. These findings confirm that the proposed method can be applied to high-accuracy and high-consistency ceramic ball processing.

Microstructural evolution in W-1%TiC alloy irradiated He ions at high temperatures

To investigate the surface damage of a material by He ions,a dispersion-strengthened W-1wt%TiC alloy was irradiated by 5-keV He ions at 773 K,973 K,and 1173 K up to an ion dose of 1.8×10^(21)He m−2,respectively.No He bubble formation was observed under transmission electron microscopy at any temperature for He doses less than 1.5×10^(20)He m^(−2).When this dose was exceeded,He bubbles grew and void swelling increased with increasing irradiation doses.Naturally,the growth of He bubbles and the void swelling became more pronounced with increasing irradiation temperatures.Compared to the published data on commercially available pure W,the formation of He bubbles was suppressed by TiC particles in the W-TiC alloy,especially at low doses.