Hybrid tools for improved removal and surface finish of metals and non-metals

Increasing productivity and surface quality in manufacturing is inevitable for the efficient use of resources. Precision smooth surfaces are generally achieved through sequential milling, grinding, fine-grinding, and polishing. This research aims to increase productivity through a shorter process chain. Hybrid tooling technology is presented where an elastic fine grinding tool is integrated with a conventional milling cutter or a grinding tool, in order to produce smooth surfaces on metal and non-metals. A hybrid milling cutter with an elastic tool could produce a low-waviness surface as compared to that of a milled-only surface. Surface roughness could be reduced by almost 50% using the hybrid milling tool on a steel workpiece. A monocrystalline silicon surface was machined with a hybrid grinding tool. Surface roughness of Ra ~ 100 nm could be obtained for hybrid tool in comparison to Ra ~ 200 nm with grinding only tool. The surface machined with a hybrid tool showed ductile mode cutting streaks, whereas, the ground surface was observed to be completely in brittle mode. Additionally, the hybrid tools also showed reduced machining vibrations due to the damping effect induced by the elastic tool member.