A multiprocess machine tool for compound micromachining

• Main Authors: Rahman, M., Asad, A.B.M.A, Masaki, T., Saleh, Tanveer, Wong, Y.S., Senthil Kumar, A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2010
• Subjects: TJ210.2 Mechanical devices and figures. Automata. Ingenious mechanism. Robots (General)
• Online Access: http://irep.iium.edu.my/30947/1/MTM_MultipurposeMachinetool.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/30947/; http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmachtools.2009.10.007

Compoundmicromachiningisthemostpromisingtechnologyfortheproductionofminiaturizedparts and thistechnologyisbecomingincreasinglymoreimportantandpopularbecauseofagrowing demandforindustrialproducts,withanincreasednumbernotonlyoffunctionsbutalsoofreduced dimensions,higherdimensionalaccuracyandbettersurfacefinish.Compoundmicromachining processesthatcombinemultipleconventionalandnon-conventionalmicromachiningprocesseshave the capabilitytofabricatehighaspectratiomicrostructureswithparamountdimensionalaccuracy. Such machiningshouldbecarriedoutonthesamemachinewithminimumchangeofsetups.Atthe same time,on-machinetoolfabricationalongwithon-machinetoolandworkpiecemeasurement facilitiesshouldalsobeavailableforfurtherenhancementofthefunctionalityofthemachineand higher productivity.Inordertoachieveeffectiveimplementationofcompoundmicromachining techniques,thisresearchseekstoaddressfourimportantareas,namely(a)developmentofamachine tool capableofbothconventionalmicromachiningincludingmicroturning,micromilling,etc.,andnon- conventionalmicromachiningincludingmicroelectricaldischargemachining(micro-EDM),wire-cut electricaldischargemachining(WEDM),etc.;(b)processcontrol;(c)processdevelopmenttoachieve the necessaryaccuracyandqualityand(d)on-machinemeasurementandinspection.Anintegrated effort intotheseareashasresultedinsuccessfulfabricationofmicrostructuresthatareabletomeetthe miniaturizationdemandsoftheindustry.Thispaperpresentsafewtool-basedapproachesthat integratemicro-EDM,micro-EDG,microturningandmicrogrindingtoproduceminiaturecomponents on thesamemachinetoolplatforminordertodemonstratethecapabilitiesofcompound micromachining.