Investigation on the machining performance of copper-based diamond ultra-thin dicing blades manufactured by fused deposition modeling and sintering (FDMS)

Utilizing FDMS technology to manufacture ultra-thin diamond blades can enhance its machining performance. In this study, the machinability of ultrathin diamond blades manufactured by FDMS on a variety of materials, including ferrite magnets, synthetic sapphire, ceramic, and cemented carbide, was investigated. This study examined the fragmentation characteristics, chipping size, and surface morphology of the machined surfaces with the ultra-thin diamond blades. Experimental results showed that ultrathin diamond blades for dicing ferrite magnets and sapphire produced larger chipping sizes than the other two materials; while because of high aluminum content, alumina ceramics have a smoother dicing surface among other materials, the surface roughness of the alumina measuring surface reached 13.6 nm. On the other hand, as a result of the reinforcement of cobalt on the matrix properties and the wetting effect on the interface between matrix and diamond particles, the wear resistance and sharpness of the blade are improved, and the wear loss of the blade is only 0.011 g. Even though diamond blades for various materials produce different machining results, FDMS diamond blades can improve the machining performance of processed materials, the machined surface quality, and the exposure of diamond particles on the blades. In summary, this study affirms that FDMS improves diamond blade machining performance, promoting the industrialization of FDMS for the production of ultra-thin diamond blades.