Fixturing for Mechanical Micromachining of Miniature Parts

Burak Ozdoganlar, Mechanical Engineering

One of the best ways to manufacture miniature parts and micro-scale features is through the use of mechanical manufacturing techniques such as micromilling, which is the micro-scale equivalent of the conventional milling process. The main advantages of the mechanical micromachining processes are the truly 3D shape capability, diverse material selection, and high precision.

High precision micromachining necessitates the part to be held with high static and dynamic stiffness. In addition, the position and orientation of the part with respect to machine-tool coordinate system must be known accurately. When the parts are as small as few millimeters or smaller, using aforementioned techniques becomes very difficult, if not impossible. Therefore, achieving commercially sustainable micromachining for miniature parts is only possible if effective and accurate fixuring techniques for micromachining are devised.

The objective of this proposal is to develop techniques and associated models for fixturing miniature parts for micromachining. A number of techniques will be assessed for static and dynamic stiffness, range of part geometries that can be accommodated, ease of part attachment, and accuracy of part placement and orientation. In each case, the static and dynamic response provided by the fixturing method will be modeled using analytical and numerical techniques, and the models will be experimentally validated.