Study of different materials response in micro milling using four edged micro end mill tools

Fabrication of micro channels with a width of less than 200 mu m is always challenging as the available cutting tools are costly and not adequate for machining for a longer time. Popular tool fabrication processes like tool grinding experience high scrap rate as the micro features in the cutting tools cannot withstand the grinding forces. Other non-contact tool fabrication processes like focused ion beam machining (FIB) and wire electrodischarge machining (wire EDM) are very slow and need high capital investment. In this paper, micro end mill tools with high dimensional accuracy are fabricated by a sequential EDM method and the performance analysis is conducted by milling micro channels of different depth on aluminium 6061, brass 340, AISI 1040 and poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA). The cutting tools are proven to be capable of producing micro channels of high dimensional accuracy (100 +/- 4 mu m), nanometer surface fnish (29-120 nm), high surface integrity, and less post-milling tool damages.