A new cutting mechanism for the fabrication of microscale grooves is presented in this study. Based on the control principle of the nano-cutting mechanism using an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM), in the newly developed system, a single crystal diamond tool is mounted at the free edge of a cantilever beam and is used for the removal of material. During the cutting process, the cantilever undergoes a deformation that is required for the implementation of a machining force feedback control. It was experimentally observed that the use of this mechanism enables to maintain the cutting depth of the micro-grooves constant even if they are fabricated on inclined surfaces; this is achieved by maintaining the normal cutting force constant using a feedback controller. For this experimental system, an optical lever is used to measure the angular deformation at the tip of the cantilever, thus providing a better understanding of total cutting force involved in the machining process.
Micro-grooves fabrication is increasing due to its importance in different technology fields, as they are required for higher functional applications such as the development of optical lens or micro channels for heat exchangers. A novel method based on the technology developed for Atomic Force Microscopes (AFM) nano-cutting is proposed, where nano-scratches are made using a micro-cantilever with a sharp tip where a normal load sufficient to remove material is applied. Instead of a rigid system to control the relative position between the tool and the workpiece, AFM nano-cutting uses a force feedback control (FBC) of the normal load on the tool edge in order to maintain a constant cutting depth during the manufacture. Due to the limited scale range of AFM machining, a larger mechanism was developed and consists on a XYZ-stage system where an elastic leaf spring type tool holder is mounted with a diamond tool chip. FBC is not yet implemented on this system; however, basic experiments (micro-grooves cutting) were performed on different materials to verify the feasibility of this setup. With these results, it is possible to analyze the relationship between static indentation tests and the normal load required during the micro-grooves fabrication.
A non-rigid micro/nano scale cutting mechanism that is capable to fabricate micro-grooves in a surface of some square centimeters with a constant cutting depth and even on inclined surfaces has been developed. This mechanism is based on the control principle of the nano-cutting technique using an Atomic Force Microscope, where a cantilever with a diamond tool attached at its free edge is used to remove the material from the workpiece. Using an optical lever, the angular deformation at the tip of the cantilever is measure, allowing us to grasp the total cutting force involved during the machining process.
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