Fabrication of High-Quality Surfaces on Micro Tools by the ELID Grinding Technique

Micro tools require exceptionally high surface quality, controllable to the nanometer level. In this research, a desktop machine capable of achieving excellent surface quality and machining accuracy in micro machining was developed. Micro tools of various shapes were prepared using the newly developed machine. The machine successfully prepared pyramidal micro tools with tips in 2μm. The surfaces of the prepared micro tools were observed closely using advanced instruments. The fracture strength of the micro tools was evaluated by indentation tests using a nano indentation testing instrument. The observations showed a clear and quantitative correlation between the nanometer level surface quality and mechanical strength. In the subsequent test, thin metal sheets were punched using the fabricated micro tool. The resulting holes were found to be of exceptionally high quality.