Polycrystalline zinc selenide (p-ZnSe) is a typical soft brittle material with important optical applications. In this work, single and repeated nanoscratching tests were performed using a Berkovich indenter along the face-forward (FF) and edge-forward (EF) directions. The morphological features of the scratched grooves and the subsurface microstructural changes in the material were characterised by

Electrochemical discharge machining (ECDM) can be applied as a non-traditional processing technology for machining non-conductive materials such as glass and ceramics, based on the phenomena of evoked electrochemical discharges around the tool electrode. The material removal mechanism of ECDM is noticeably complex and difficult to experimentally characterize. In this paper, finite element models were

Micro-milling is an extensively used micro-machining process for producing high precision 3D components from varied materials. However, tool wear in micro-tools is a big concern, as component accuracy directly depends on it. Also, size effects limit the monitoring by the naked eye, but it can be compensated by implying a proper wear monitoring mechanism. Various direct and indirect methods have earlier

Imaging the vibrations of nanomechanical resonators means measuring their flexural mode shapes from the dependence of their frequency response on in-plane position. Applied to two-dimensional resonators, this technique provides a wealth of information on the mechanical properties of atomically-thin membranes. We present a simple and robust system to image the vibrations of few layer graphene (FLG)

In this study, the influence of mechanical vibration characteristics on the efficiency of a servo motor was experimentally investigated. For this purpose, a dedicated apparatus comprising two servo motors connected to a coupling was used. The efficiency of the motor was investigated by first considering the signals of voltage and current; then, the mechanical power was calculated from the acquired

This work introduces a three-dimensional (3D) right circularly corner-filleted flexible hinge composed of four planar segments that are serially connected and located in two planes of the global Cartesian frame. The 3D hinge configuration realizes full load-displacement coupling in terms of the six degrees of freedom (DOF) at its free end, enhancing thus the motion capability, range and versatility

Five National Metrology Institutes (NMIs) worked together to validate the assessment of laser tracker's (LT) uncertainty for large scale dimensional metrology in subsequent measurements using the network method. The LT uncertainty is assessed by measuring a set of a fixed network of targets from different LT positions. Afterward, we must perform a “bundled adjustment” of all the measurements to determine

Injection molded direct joining (IMDJ) is one type of metal-plastic direct joining methods. IMDJ first treats the metal surface and then injects melted polymer onto the surface via injection molding technology. IMDJ method is excellently suitable for a mass production environment for the injection molding technology characteristics of high-speed production. However, one of the factors limiting the

Shape adaptive grinding (SAG) is conducted on the ground tungsten carbide-cobalt coating using diamond polishing pad. A material removal rate (MRR) model is proposed by considering the indentation of active abrasive particle, cross-sectional area and actual length of the finishing grooves. The effects of tool speed, tool compression, backing pad hardness and abrasive particle size of the polishing

A new cutting method named “peel cutting” is proposed in this research to suppress notch wear in machining of metals with hard oxide surfaces. In general, metals are produced by hot deformation processes like rolling, forging, and extrusion, which cause hard oxide surfaces called scales on their surfaces. These hard scales need to be removed first in machining of precision parts. However, the machining

Self-adaptive surface measurements that can reduce data redundancy and improve time efficiency are in high demand in many fields of science and technology. For this purpose, a system implemented with Gaussian process (GP) adaptive sampling is developed. The non-parametric GP model is applied to reconstruct the topography and guide the subsequent sampling position, which is determined from the inference

This paper presents a novel mass comparator designed for the purpose of measuring small weights of 2 mg and lower, with readability of 10 ng. The mass comparator was developed using new types of coil and actuator. The added protective ring decreased the average sorption-induced mass variation for the coil by 84%. The accuracy of the novel comparator was verified in terms of stability, Type An uncertainty

The aim of this study is to calculate the risks of automatic checkweigher verification according to the specifications of the international recommendation OIML R51 developed by the International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML) and to propose an alternative method for performing the verification efficiently. The risks posed by the OIML R51 method to the consumer and producer are calculated using

The X-ray computed tomography system (XCT) as a coordinate measuring system has been increasingly introduced into the manufacturing industry because of its capability of measuring internal features. However, the metrological performance evaluation method for XCT has not yet been standardized. One of the biggest reasons of this is the difficulty in evaluating the material influence. The previous research

Fluid bearings have features of high speed and high rotation accuracy, and therefore, they are used in spindle motors of hard disk drives, cooling fans of central processing units, and other devices. Further, these bearings have microherringbone grooves on the shaft or sleeve inner surface that help generate dynamic pressure in the lubricant fluid around the shaft. Although the depth of the groove

We describe the use of an automated co-ordinate measurement machine (CMM) directly or in concert with a three-axis robot arm to map the distortion of a 3D structured light scanner's field of view. This enables us to compare the claimed accuracy and resolution of different structured light scanners. In addition, we can also use the distortion mapping to generate a correction mechanism to improve the

Despite centuries of research and significant advances, the escapement mechanism used to count and maintain oscillations of mechanical time bases remains a complex mechanism and a major source of energy losses. We showed in previous work that, instead of the widely used rotational one degree-of-freedom (DOF) oscillators, 2-DOF flexure oscillators have the potential of revolutionizing mechanical watchmaking

As a key part of elliptical vibration cutting (EVC) technology, a two-dimensional ultrasonic elliptical vibration cutting (UEVC) device has become a prevalent area of importance and research interest. This paper dissects through the conventional structural design and creatively proposes the UEVC device with flexible guided wave propagation. The device resolves the problems of poor coupling efficiency

Wafer rotational grinding is widely employed for back-thinning and flattening of semiconducting wafers during the manufacturing process of integrated circuits. Grit cutting depth is a comprehensive indicator that characterizes overall grinding conditions, such as the wheel structure, geometry, abrasive grit size, and grinding parameters. Furthermore, grit cutting depth directly affects wafer surface/subsurface

In order to improve the finishing efficiency of the Magnetic Abrasive Finishing process, we proposed a new MAF process with renewable abrasive particles using compound magnetic finishing fluid circulatory system in this paper. This new finishing process has a circulating system that uses a conveyor belt to renew the mixed abrasive particles. This not only maintains the stability of the finishing but

This paper focuses on the configuration design of flexure hinges with a prescribed compliance matrix and preset rotational center position. A new method for the topology optimization of flexure hinges is proposed based on the adaptive spring model and stress constraint. The hinge optimization model is formulated by maximizing the bending displacement with a spring while optimizing the compliance matrix

Adopting the sidewall-insulated hollow electrode (SIHE) is an ideal approach to achieve electrolyte-refresh and stray corrosion inhibition functions in micro electrochemical machining (ECM) processes. Most of the traditional SIHEs are made of metal substrate and non-metal thin films. The insulating film has poor durability, and the preparation approach of the traditional SIHE is complex and has limited

Ultrasonic elliptical vibration cutting is a very promising technique for the machining of brittle materials. However, its machining performance is currently limited by the ductile machining model and the machining strategy with a constant feed rate, leading to low machining efficiency. To overcome this defect, this paper presents a novel self-tuned ultrasonic elliptical vibration cutting (SUEVC) technique

We present the optical layout and actual design of a compact high-aperture referenceless point diffraction interferometer with a diffraction reference wave. The basic concept of this interferometer is based on a single-mode optical fibre with a subwave output aperture, which is used as a source of spherical reference waves. The interferometer is designed for high-precision measurements of the surface

This study proposes a novel micro-deep-hole drill with variable web thickness and flute width to effectively improve the problem of tool breakage and chip clogging during micro-deep-hole drilling. Firstly, the failure form and failure mechanism of micro-drill are explored by performing drilling experiments, and it is found that the torsion fracture and bending fracture are the main premature failure

Compliant Wren mechanisms (CWM) constitute specific compliant structures of particular interest. Derived from Wren mechanisms, they can exhibit a large variety of motions, from quasi translation to quasi rotation. In this paper, the development of models for the analysis and synthesis of CWM is considered. A kinematic model is introduced first to assess all possible motions when used as an actuator

In view of the serious problem of milling heat in milling nickel-based superalloys Inconel 718, this paper investigates the heat transfer performance of internal cooling in end milling Inconel 718, and the superiority of internal cooling milling cutter's heat exchange ability during processing is explored. The flow field characteristics of cutting fluid and milling temperature are studied by Computational

This paper proposes a hybrid control strategy of a novel linear piezoelectric walking stage based on two sorts of piezoelectric actuators, which takes the load variation into account. The proposed stage consists of two parallel 4-bar lever amplification mechanisms with flexure hinges actuated by piezoelectric stacks to heighten the vertical distance (that is more tolerable to the assembly discrepancy)

A force controlled nanocutting system based on a flexible mechanism was developed. Instead of utilizing force sensors, the force sensing and control in the developed system is realized by sensing and controlling the deformation of the flexible mechanism. With force feedback control for controlling the cutting force in real time, this system could achieve adaptive cutting along non-planar surfaces without

Manipulation at the sub-micron scale often requires force-sensing capabilities of milli-to nanonewton forces. This article presents a novel design of a compliant load cell with mechanically adjustable stiffness. The system enables adapting force sensitivity to the requirements of a specific application. The principle of the stiffness adjustment is based on a preloaded spring, that stores the potential

A design of a new, absolute sensor for measurement of an angular micro-displacement is presented. In this sensor deflections of incident laser beam generate changes of the constant of the interference fringes that are created by the double arm special interferometer. Fringe constant is determined using a CCD camera and proposed analysis algorithms. Sensor's operating principle and metrological properties

We show that new kinematic equivalents with improved performance of standard flexure elements can be systematically synthesized by combination of cross-pivot flexures. Cross-pivot flexures provide a unique feature of kinematic stability under both high loading and large displacement conditions which can be exploited to synthesize a range of kinematic equivalents to standard flexure elements which retain

Slurry is widely used in polishing difficult-to-machine materials. However, it is accompanied with some issues, such as the agglomeration of abrasives and high disposal cost. Although using fixed abrasive grains instead of slurry can solve these issues, the problems of wear and of loading fixed abrasive grinding stones, which result in decrease of material removal rate (MRR), also need to be solved

To explore the mechanism of formation and methods of control of edge burr in the grinding and forming of cemented carbide micro-drill, the morphology, material composition, and the edge structure of the generated area of the edge burrs are studied. Through indentation and scratch experiments, the critical grinding depth (hc) of grinding machining is calculated to be 0.793–1.052 μm. The grinding experiments

This paper presents the design of a novel kinematic tensioning system to remedy the situation where the input-output relation of a remotely operated end-effector is not completely kinematic due to the onset of slack in the cable transmission. The actuation of multi-link remote manipulators via cable transmission presents the design characteristic of backlash, in certain directions, after actuation

The tuned mass damper (TMD) has been used in machining processes for reducing forced vibration, suppressing chatter, and improving machined surface quality. In micro-milling process, the tiny size of the cutting tool-tip and the high rotating speed bring challenges in implementing the TMD. Besides, the TMD needs to have two degrees-of-freedom (DOFs) for reducing vibrations of micro-mill in two orthogonal

Micro machining processes are characterized by the influence of size effects like the influence of the workpiece micro structure on the process and ultimately on the process results. So far, the influence of grain orientation on the process results is state of the art and mostly investigated on single-crystal materials, but the influence of the grain orientation on the process and process results in

This paper is concerned with understanding the role of specific energy in micro-grinding of conventional and additively manufactured Ti6Al4V. The effects of grinding and dressing parameters, cooling-lubrication conditions, and the directions of material build-up are studied. It is demonstrated that the minimum specific energy in single grain tests is independent of the material-fabrication method.

Polishing is a main process in achieving high-quality surfaces of optical components. However, effective assessing technique for rough stage in the polishing process is sparse so that hinders the study on the mechanism and optimization of polishing. In this study, we propose an inspection method for polishing quality based on quasi Brewster angle technology (qBAT). An equivalent medium layer theory

Microstructural replication accuracy in precision micro electroforming process is related to ions transportation inside the micro structure and microstructural feature width and aspect ratio. In this study, a novel star pattern having a varying feature width of 20–320 μm with a corresponding aspect ratio of 5–0.3125 is proposed to characterize ion transportation and electrodeposition for electroforming

This paper proposes a new vibration cutting method named “multimode vibration cutting” for precision surface texturing. The proposed cutting method utilizes multiple unidirectional vibration modes mainly in the depth-of-cut direction. The vibrations at multiple frequencies induced to the tool tip can generate not only sinusoidal but also highly-flexible trajectories such as trapezoidal, triangular

Free-form surfaces have been widely used in aerospace, automotive and other fields. Due to its complex geometry, free-form surface inspection is generally conducted by touch-trigger or measuring probe-based Coordinate Measurement Machines or On-machine Measurement. Sampling strategy plays a decisive role in improving both measurement accuracy and efficiency, which is determined by sample size and distribution

To expand the measurement target from that containing simple cylindrical-shaped components to complex-shaped components that have several directional tilted surfaces, we determined an issue in measuring the rough surfaces with laser distance measurement. The issue is that laser speckle causes measurement error, which amount, we found, can be determined by the diameter and irradiation angle of the measurement

To obtain the great surface quality of Ti–6Al–4V and achieve high efficiency in the polishing process, the chemistry enhanced shear thickening polishing (C-STP) was proposed, and the polishing performance of different pH slurry was studied. The results show that the material removal rate gradually increases as the pH value decreases from 10 to 1, and the best surface quality is obtained at pH 2. The

Turning is one of the most commonly used cutting processes for manufacturing components in production engineering. The turning process, in some cases, is accompanied by intense relative movements between tool and workpiece, which is called chatter vibrations. Chatter has been identified as a detrimental problem that adversely impacts surface finish, tool life, process productivity, and dimensional

This paper presents a new surface texturing technique using ball-end milling with high feed speed and spindle speed modulation. The ratio between feed-rate and cutting tool radius is in the range of 0.2–0.4, which is much larger than the ratio in conventional milling. Sinusoidal modulation signal is added, so the spindle speed becomes time-varying in order to generate different texture profiles. The