Micro-cutting operations are used to manufacture miniature parts in biomedical, optics, electronics, and sensors industry. Compared to chemical manufacturing processes, micro-cutting has the advantage of producing three-dimensional features with a broad range of materials. Tool geometries and cutting conditions need to be properly selected to achieve desired surface finish and avoid premature wear or breakage of the fragile micro-tools. The mechanics and dynamics of micro-cutting have to be modeled in order to predict the process behavior and plan the operations ahead of costly physical trials.

The chip thickness is comparable to the tool edge radius in micro-cutting, which brings strong size effect to the prediction of cutting force. A generalized analytical model based on slip-line field theory is proposed to predict the stress distribution and cutting force with round tool edge effect. Plastic deformation of workpiece material is modeled considering strain hardening, strain-rate and temperature effects on the flow stress. A numerical model is developed to simulate chip formation and cutting force using finite element method. The simulation results obtained from the numerical and analytical models are compared against experimental measurements to evaluate their predictive accuracy.

The cutting force coefficients are modeled as functions of tool edge radius and uncut chip thickness from a series of slip-line field and finite element simulations. The identified cutting force coefficients are used to simulate micro-milling forces considering the actual tool trajectory, radial tool run-out and the dynamometer dynamics. Micro-milling forces which have sub-Newton amplitude are predicted directly from material constitutive model with experimental proof.

A specially devised piezo-actuator mechanism is developed to identify the frequency response function of the micro-mill up to 120 kHz. The process damping coefficient in the ploughing region is identified from the finite element simulations. Dynamic micro-milling force with the velocity dependent process damping mechanism is modeled, and the chatter stability is predicted in frequency domain. Chatter tests are conducted to experimentally validate the dynamic model of micro-milling.

The proposed mechanics and dynamic models can be used to simulate micro-cutting operations with various workpiece materials and tool geometries, and provide guidance for micro-cutting planners to select optimum cutting conditions.