Available online at www.sciencedirect.

com

Procedia CIRP 1 (2012) 609 614

5th CIRP Conference on High Performance Cutting 2012

High speed micro machining processes analysis for the precision manufacturing
M. Garzna*, O. Adamsa, D. Veselovaca, M. Blattnerb, R. Thielb, A. Kirchheimb
Laboratory for Machine Tools and Production Engineering (WZL), RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany b Kistler Instruments AG, Winterthur, Switzerland * Corresponding author. Tel.: +49-241-8028037; fax: +49-241-8022293. E-mail address: M.Garzon@wzl.rwth-aachen.de
a

Abstract This work shows the results of high frequency force measurement for micro milling operations on hardened steel with rotational speeds up to 110,000 rpm using a modified high frequency dynamometer with optimally reduced pre-located mass between sensor and workpiece. This development allows for a significant increase of the natural frequency both in shear direction (aprox. 9 kHz) as well as in longitudinal direction (up to 25 kHz). Additionally, a completely new developed hexapod dynamometer with extremely high sensitivity (up to 115 pC/N) for micro processing forces will be shown as well. Further on, aiming to expand the knowledge on EDM process forces, results of measurements using two different force sensors (aprox. 20 kHz and 200 kHz) with micro-electrodes down to 0.4 mm in diameter will also be shown and analysed with the aid of high speed camera images of the discharge gap region. Those experimentations made simultaneously with the single discharge force measurements will help identifying the characteristical behavior of the measured signal proving their suitability to monitor an unconventional process such as EDM. 2012 Authors. by Elsevier B.V. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of Professor Konrad Wegener 2012 The Published byPublished Elsevier BV. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of Prof. Konrad Wegener
Keywords: Process Forces, Cutting; EDM; Process Monitoring

1. Introduction Increasing performance and design requirements of new precision parts motivate the latest developments on precision manufacturing processes. Harder or difficult to machine materials, together with tougher design restrictions like higher geometric complexity, microdetailed features or higher aspect ratios ask for more controlled and monitored machining operations. It has been shown that not only for cutting operations, but also during thermal removal processes like EDM, deflection and unstable process behavior may occur while processing high aspect ratio components [1],[2]. Complementing the discussed results, high-speed camera recordings will be simultaneously performed during the force measurements for thermal removal processes in order to improve the understanding of the acquired measurement signals as well. In general, processing speeds are increasing to values never seen before. All this necessarily calls for the use of

new higher frequency dynamometers which improve the dynamic characteristic of the acquired measurement signals. That fact will allow accurately monitoring the tool integrity and identifying critical machining situations for robust manufacturing processes. It is known that the production costs related to tool failures can be minimized with the assistance of a process monitoring system that measures the wear and possible overload of the cutting tool. Corrective measures can then be taken manually or automatically. Results of force measurements for micro-milling and micro-Sinking EDM on a combined processing machine using innovative force sensors will be shown in this work. 2. Combined Processing Machine The tests described in this work, relating to the measurement of the highly frequent forces of micromilling and micro-sinking EDM were performed on a

2212-8271 2012 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of Professor Konrad Wegener http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.procir.2012.04.108

610

M. Garzn et al. / Procedia CIRP 1 (2012) 609 614

combined machining platform built and optimized on a Sarix SX 200 machine as seen in Fig. 1. This microEDM Machine with 3D micro EDM milling capabilities for 4 + 2 axis, two indexed spindles and micro fine electrode wire dressing with laser geometry control has been integrated with a high speed (up to 160,000 rpm) ultra-precise spindle. This spindle has been integrated into a second available installation space developed on the z-axis of the micro EDM machine, so that the drive for a milling tool will also be possible.
Fig. 2. Kistler 9256 force measurement dynamometer

HS-Milling Spindle

EDM Spindle

3.2. High Frequency Dynamometer with improved dynamic behavior The limitation in terms of dynamical behavior in force measurement with the above described dynamometer is given through the dynamometers natural frequencies. A measurement system for higher engagement frequencies needs to be improved in its natural frequencies. Equation 1 and Equation 2 describe the behavior of a damped oscillator where 0 is the oscillators natural frequency.

Fig. 1. Combined processing machine: Micro-milling + Micro-EDM

3. Force Measurement in Micro Cutting The demand for micro cutting processes e.g. for the manufacturing injection molds is increasing due to miniaturization and increasingly complex product design. Whereas cutting tools made from ultra-fine grain carbides with special coatings are already standard, appropriate force and torque measurement solutions for tool development, process design, process monitoring and process control are not available. Due to high rotational speeds that can be accomplished in high performance micro machining, the natural frequencies of the measurement system have to be very high. Furthermore, the sensitivity needs to be higher than in standard cutting processes due to the small cutting forces. In the following sub-chapters, three force measurement dynamometers for micro machining are shown and analysed. 3.1. Standard dynamometer for micro machining The Kistler Minidyn 9256, as shown in Fig. 2, is a standard force measurement dynamometer for micro machining processes. A measurement range of 250 N and 8 Nm can be used for 3-axis force and 2-axis torque measurement. An improved sensitivity in z-direction is achieved due to vertically oriented force measurement sensors. Natural frequencies above 5 kHz allow the measurement of signals with engagement frequencies up to about 2 kHz which correlates with a rotational speed of 60,000 rpm for a two edge cutter.

+ dx + cx = 0 m x

(1)

0 =

c (2) m

The natural frequency 0 is directly dependent on the mass, which is connected to the sensor. Piezoelectric force sensors consist of a crystal that induces a transfer of charge under pressure. In order to measure drag forces the sensor has to be put under pressure using a preload bolt that applies a force of about 25 kN for standard sensors. Arising drag forces reduce the sensors preload and hence can be measured as negative charge dislocation. In standard dynamometers, usually four piezoelectric cells are located between a bottom and a covering plate. Besides the mass of the preload bolt, the mass applied through work piece and covering plate lowers the systems natural frequency. In order to increase the natural frequencies, the prelocated mass has to be decreased. The Kistlers High Frequency Dynamometer (HFD), as shown in Fig. 3, shows a great improvement in its dynamical behavior compared to the Kistler Minidyn described in Chapter 3.1.

M. Garzn et al. / Procedia CIRP 1 (2012) 609 614

611

3.3. Prototype dynamometer with very high sensitivity The sensitivity of a force measurement dynamometer represents the amount of charge which is dislocated in relation to the force or the torque respectively. Standard dynamometers consist of several single sensors mechanically in parallel connection. Hence, the induced load is distributed onto the single cells and the overall sensitivity is an average of the single cells sensitivities. In order to increase the platforms sensitivity more sensitive cells have to be used or several cells have to be connected in series in order to increase the charge per mechanical load output. Fig. 4 shows a newly developed force measurement platform concept. Similarly to machine tools in hexapod design, the upper plate, where the work piece is mounted, is held by six elongated force sensors.

Fig. 3. High frequency dynamometer (HFD)

The measurement system consists of only one sensor and the prelocated mass was reduced drastically. This could be achieved as the work piece is directly mounted to the preload bolt with an M4 thread. Furthermore, the mass of the preload bolt itself is reduced using a lightweight material. From excitation tests with an impulse hammer it can be found that the natural frequencies in x- and y-direction are about 9 kHz and in z-direction above 25 kHz. With that, measurements with rotational speeds up to 110,000 rpm for two edge cutters can be performed accurately. Fig. 4 shows a measurement signal with a two edge cutter milling tool with 0.2 mm in diameter. The engagement of both cutting edges can be identified clearly. Furthermore, it can be seen that the load on one cutting edge is slightly higher than on the other one. This results on the one hand from the run-out deviation and on the other hand from an asymmetry between the cutting edges.
Process Forces F/ N
Fx Fy Fz N N N

Fig. 5. Prototype force measurement dynamometer with very high sensitivity

0.5 0.25 0 -0.25 -0.5 Signal measured at 110000 rpm. PVD coated 0.2 mm diameter milling tool Workpiece Steel 1.2343 56 HRC

0.0005

0.001

0.0015

0.002

0.0025

Time t / s Process Parameters (vc = 75.4 mm/min; ap = 0.015 mm; ae = 100%; fz = 0.0015 mm; z = 2; vf = 6 mm/s)

Each of the force sensors is fixed at the top and the bottom with a spherical joint so that no shear forces are induced. The specific sensors for this application are preloaded separately and their sensitivity is very high due to a stack of piezoelectric crystals. Since the single sensor bars are not loaded with shear load the platforms degree of freedom is exactly equal to zero. Based on the geometric correlation a square matrix with 36 elements can be obtained in order to calculate force and torque from the single sensor signals. Each force and torque signal can be calculated as a multiplication with the specific row of the matrix, exemplary shown for Fx in Equation 3 where M1,1 is the matrix element and S1..S6 are the sensors.

Fig. 4. Measurement signal with HFD, d=0.2 mm, n=110,000 rpm

Other cutting tests showed that increasing forces due to tool wear can be monitored and even the partial breakout of a cutting edge can be identified reliably.

Fx = M 1, i * Si
i =1

(3)

Using sensors with a sensitivity of about 115 pC/N the platforms overall sensitivity in z-direction is calculated to about 80 pC/N, which is three times higher than the Kistler Minidyn. The maximum measurement

612

M. Garzn et al. / Procedia CIRP 1 (2012) 609 614

range is 100 N for processing forces and 5 Nm for torque. Testing results have demonstrated natural frequencies around 1,000 Hz. First tests showed that the high sensitivity and the statically exact determined system can be used for precise machining processes like fine grinding or polishing. 4. Process Forces Analysis for Micro-Sinking EDM 4.1. Experimental Set-up Based on the knowledge won by several authors [1 6] regarding the complicated measurement of EDM process forces, a process monitoring system has been designed for the described combined machining platform, to achieve the following main characteristics: High sensitivity and high dynamic response. For that purpose, a measuring platform, including an external dielectric tank, was designed in which two different types of sensors can be used (see Fig. 6):

steel bearing ball of the pendulum mechanism. That means both sensors can be used using their individual properties to monitor the process. Furthermore, this work presents new tests made with both sensors for actual micro-EDM single discharges (See Fig. 8). In comparison with the tests made for [7], a much lighter 1.4 g steel electrode with the same surface area as the contact membrane of the Type 9213 Sensor was used. As it was shown in [7] the surface area as well as the geometry of the electrodes plays an important role on the measured amplitude of the EDM-discharge forces. For this reason, those parameters were held constant for the comparison tests shown below.

Fig. 6. Left: Sensor 9217A with mounted workpiece electrode; Right Sensor Type 9213.

Sensor Type 9217A, which is able to measure very small forces in the region of mN. It counts with a very high sensitivity of 104 pC/N. Its natural frequency, including an attached low mass electrode is slightly lower than 20 kHz. Sensor Type 9213: this type of sensor has the advantage of featuring a very high natural frequency of 200 kHz, thus allowing a very fast dynamic response, to be allowed to measure the shortest discharge durations by EDM. Its sensibility is located around 4 pC/N. 4.2. Results of EDM Discharge Forces Both sensors were mechanically calibrated at the WZL for short impulses, simulating the kind of input they will get when being subject to EDM discharges. Results for this calibration were shown at [7]. It was seen that although both sensors behave with different kinds of vibration responses, the first oscillation peak shows a very similar value for force coming from the

Fig. 7. Comparison of the measurement signal for EDM process forces based on a Sensor Type 9217A with mounted workpiece electrode and a Sensor Type 9213 with a discharge directly on its measuring membrane.

The upper side of Fig. 7 shows the results of the process force generated by a single EDM discharge directly on the stainless steel measuring membrane of a type 9213 force sensor in comparison with the results generated by a single EDM discharge with the same process parameters on an stainless steel electrode attached to a type 9217A sensor (lower part of Fig. 7). It

M. Garzn et al. / Procedia CIRP 1 (2012) 609 614

613

can be seen that both signals show a similar main oscillation behaviour characterized by an initial positive force peak followed by a region of negative force values. A second positive force peak is seen after nearly 50 s with a second negative force region directly afterwards. Superimposed on both sensor signals are higher frequency oscillations of much lower amplitude related to the natural frequency of the sensors as well as that of the complete measurement system. It is seen that the lower natural frequency sensor, namely the Type 9217A, presents a slightly lower amplitude value for the first force peak. That had already been noticed by the calibration in [7] and can be accurately corrected. A nearly 10 s delay on the signal response compared to the faster Type 9213 sensor is noted as well. All these characteristics are typical for measuring systems with lower natural frequency, but the fact that the main shape of the force signal response is similar on both sensors, allows to believe that their measurement is actually imaging with high detail the hydrodynamic behaviour inside the working gap. A detailed way to analyse the response of these sensors specifically for EDM will be described in the following sub-chapter. 4.3. Use of High Speed Camera Analysis to Correlate Force Measurements In order to be able to understand what the signal responses are telling about the EDM process itself, high speed camera images were taken simultaneously during single discharges between a needle steel tool electrode and the measuring membrane of the Type 9213 sensor. Paralelly, discharge current and voltage was being monitored. The pictures of the discharge area were taken with two high speed cameras made by PCO. The exposure time used was 1 s. The cameras were triggered using the rising discharge current signal. A detailed description of the main high speed camera measuring setup can be found in [3]. For the present work in contrast, the Type 9213 force sensor was used as workpiece electrode, as described above. Fig. 8 exemplary shows the results for the named test. EDM process parameters can be found in the upper part of the diagram. The first general observation that can be made is that the force signal lasts much longer than the electrical discharge itself. It could be confirmed that the oscillation of the force signal does not mainly come from the mechanical vibration of the measuring system after the short electrical discharge of 12 s. As the high speed pictures confirm, thermo-dynamical and fluiddynamical phenomena created during and after the discharge are responsible for the signal behaviour. 5 s after discharge start a starting gas bubble can be seen and along with it a force signal peak appears, probably

coming from the thermal impact (and therefore pressure increase) created by the generation of the plasma channel and the start of the current flow. Around 30 s after the discharge started, where current is no longer flowing, a region with negative forces is measured. This correlates to the picture where the generated gas bubble has its maximum volume. This, as described by [3 - 6], represents a moment where fluid inertia generates under-pressure values inside the bubble.

Fig. 8. Relationship between discharge force signal and hydrodynamical behavior in the working gap

Around 75 s after the start of the discharge a second force signal peak appears, marking the moment where the gas bubble collapses its first time probably sending a high speed dielectric jet onto the sensor surface. Remaining heat, as well as the over-pressure present in the remaining gas generates a second bubble expansion and the process continues until most of the energy has been dissipated. Detailed description about collapsing and oscillation of gas bubbles in fluids can be found in [8 - 11]. The experimentation described proves that after the correct calibration of adequate piezoelectric sensors, the process monitoring of EDM is possible. It has been

614

M. Garzn et al. / Procedia CIRP 1 (2012) 609 614

found that a single discharge not only generates one force peak on the electrodes but a series of them, depending on the way the gas bubble and the fluid moved away by it behaves based among others on the electrode geometries and the energy of the discharge. The knowledge gained with this work in the area of EDM manufacturing together with previous analysis on electrode vibration by sinking EDM such as in [2] will allow further research to be made in order to generate machining technology user tables that include the maximum working parameters for selected electrode shapes and configurations to avoid electrode failure or geometrical inaccuracies of the workpieces. Even more, an adaptive control of the process based on the knowledge of force and vibrations on tool and workpiece electrodes should be feasible. 5. Conclusions This work has shown the results of force measurements for micro-milling and micro-sinking EDM on a combined processing machine using innovative force sensors. First tests with a newly designed highly sensitive hexapod dynamometer showed that the high sensitivity and the statically exact determined system can be used for precise machining processes like fine grinding or polishing. Measurements with rotational speeds up to 110,000 rpm with a two edge cutter milling tool with 0.2 mm in diameter can be performed accurately with the high frequency dynamometer shown in this work. Force measurements on EDM show that process forces are influenced by highly dynamic fluid flow effects. Under- and over-pressures generated inside the working gap are a key to the fundamental understanding of the EDM process forces. The experimentation described proves that after the correct calibration of adequate piezoelectric sensors, the process monitoring of EDM is possible. Acknowledgements The investigations shown in this paper were partially funded by the EU-Project Integ-Micro and the the German Research Association DFG within the project KL 500/63-1 Grundlagenorientierte Optimierung der Mikrosenkerosion. References
[1] Klocke, F., Thomaidis, D., Garzn, M., Veselovac, D., Klink, A., 2007, Force Measurements in the Micro Spark Erosion with various electrode materials, polarities and working media,

Proceedings of the 15th International Symposium on Electromachining, p. 263-268 [2] Klocke, F., Garzn, M., Dieckmann, J., Klink, A., 2011, Process Force Analysis on Sinking-EDM Electrodes for the Precision Manufacturing, Production Engineering - Research and Development, Vol 2. p. 183-190 [3] Tamura, T., Kobayashi Y., 2004, Measurement of impulsive forces and crater formation in impulse discharge, Journal of Materials Processing Technology 149, p. 212-221 [4] Tohi, M., Komatsu, T., Kunieda, M., 2002, Measurement of Process Reaction Force in EDM using Hopkinson Bar Method, JSPE, Vol 68, p. 822-826 [5] Kunieda, M., Tohi, M., Ohsako, Y., 2003, Reaction Forces Observed in Pulse Discharges of EDM, International Journal of Electrical Machining No. 8, p. 51-56 [6] Thomaidis, D., 2007, Pulveradditivierte Dielektrika in der Mikrosenkerosion, Dissertation RWTH Aachen, p. 70-75 [7] Kirchheim, A., Thiel, R., Blattner, M., Veselovac, D. Garzn, M., Analysis of High Speed and Micro Machining Processes Based on Special Dynamometers, 2010, Proceedings of the 4th CIRP International Conference on High Performance Cutting, 2010 Vol.2, 24.- 26. Okt 2010 Gifu Japan, p. 103-108 [8] Kundu, P., 1990, Fluid Mechanics, Academic Press, Inc., San Diego, California, p. 141-183 [9] Klocke, F., Dieckmann, J., Garzn, M., 2010, Investigation on Dynamic Gas Bubble Formation by Using a High-Speed-Camera System, Proc. of the 16th International Symposium on Electromachining, p.145-148 [10] Lauterborn, W, Kurz, T., Mettin, R., Ohl, C.-D.,1999, Experimental and theoretical bubble dynamics. In: Advances in Chemical Physics, hrsg. v. I. Prigogine, S.A. Rice; 110, p.295 380 [11] Vogel, A., Lauterborn, W., Timm, R., 1989: Optical and Acoustic Investigations of the Dynamics of LaserProduced Cavitation Bubbles Near a Solid Boundary. J. Fluid Mech. 206, p. 299 - 338