Sustainable Ultra-Precision Machining of Titanium Alloy Using Intermittent Cutting

In ultra-precision machining, it is well known that titanium alloys are difficult to cut materials. Machining processes of the materials commonly involves surface damages on machined components which subsequent machining steps or additional surface treatments are required for improving the machining quality, however, those processes acquire extra usages of raw materials and natural resources. Therefore, the environment problems related to ultra-precision machining of titanium alloys have been identified. This study applied a novel machining technology, intermittent diamond cutting in order to lower cutting temperature without using complicated equipment. In the experiments, few microgrooves were precut on the workpiece’s surface, which provided physical spaces for offering a cooling effect. Once the diamond tool passed the physical spaces, the accumulated cutting heat was released, consequently the induced surface damage and material swelling were minimized. The experimental results showed the enhancement of the machinability of titanium alloys, which reductions of cutting force, surface roughness, burr formation, error percentage of cutting profile accuracy and the level of material swelling on the machined surface are demonstrated. The proposed machining technology effectively improves the machinability of titanium alloys without requiring complicated equipment, facilitating the precision of titanium alloy components and sustainable ultra-precision machining simultaneously.