A study of the fabrication of v-groove structure in ultra-precision milling

V-groove structure is the key component for the alignment of fibres in the fibre array connector. This paper presents an investigation on the application of ultra-precision multi-axis machining technology in the fabrication of v-groove component. Ultra-precision raster milling (UPRM) is one of the multi-axis machining technologies which provide a new solution and more freedom to produce v-groove structure as compared with the precision grinding technology. In this paper, the cutting strategy is developed to schedule the material removal process, select cutting parameters and plan tool paths for v-groove machining in UPRM. Based on the study of the factors affecting machining efficiency, a novel model for machining time prediction is built for the fabrication of v-groove taking into consideration the acceleration and deceleration time of the ultra-precision machine. An integrated system is developed for the machining of v-groove structure in UPRM. Experiment is conducted to produce two different types of v-groove structures in UPRM. The experimental results show that the increase of feed rate decreases the surface quality and the core pitch tolerance of v-groove structure produced by raster milling process reaches to sub-micrometre. The developed model provides a precise machining time prediction for the actual machining process.