Investigation of micro-cutting operations

The miniaturization of machine components is perceived by many as a requirement for the future technological development of a broad spectrum of products. Miniature components can provide smaller footprints, lower power consumption and higher heat transfer, since their surface-to-volume ratio is very high. To create these components, micro-meso-scale fabrication using miniaturized mechanical material removal processes has a unique advantage in creating 3D components using a variety of engineering materials. The motivation for micro-mechanical cutting stems from the translation of the knowledge obtained from the macro-machining domain to the micro-domain. However, there are challenges and limitations to micro-machining, and simple scaling cannot be used to model the phenomena of micro-machining operations. This paper surveys the current efforts in mechanical micro-machining research and applications, especially for micro-milling operations, and suggests areas from macro-machining that should be examined and researched for application to the improvement of micro-machining processes.