Influence of Cutting Edge Preparation on the Performance of Micro Milling Tools

A main reason for premature tool failure in micro milling is the irregular wear behavior of the cutting tools. An approach to improve the tool wear behavior is a defined cutting edge preparation using immersed tumbling. A particular challenge is the cutting edge preparation of micro milling tools with small diameters D ≤ 0.5 mm. High loads within the preparation process can lead to outbreaks of the cutting edge and tool breakage. Furthermore, the influence of changed cutting edge geometry regarding the process behavior has to be more examined for these tool diameters. In this paper, micro milling tools with a diameter D = 0.2 mm will be prepared and the influence on the cutting process will be presented and discussed. The experiments will show a better wear behavior for the prepared tools and an improved surface roughness on the machined workpiece.