Experimental Investigation on the Milling Performance of a 50 μm D-Shaped Micromilling Cutter with Different Materials

Abstract In micromilling, the performance and diameter of the milling cutter directly determine the service life of the milling cutter and the surface quality of the microgroove. Therefore, it is vital for high-precision milling to explore the milling performance of different materials and expand the application scope of micromilling cutter sizes. In this study, the milling performance of three kinds of material cutters—carbide, diamond coating and polycrystalline diamond (PCD)—was evaluated. A series of micromilling tests were carried out to determine the effects of cutter material type on cutter wear, surface quality and burr formation, particularly when a 50 µm micromilling cutter was used in the milling process. A D-shaped milling cutter with a diameter of 50 µm was manufactured on a self-developed high-precision modular machine tool by wire electrode electric discharge grinding (WEDG) technology. From theoretical and experimental perspectives, it is easy to master microgroove quality milled by different material cutters. The results show that the microgrooves processed with PCD cutters have fewer burrs, lower surface roughness values, and a smoother groove bottom morphology.