Research Projects

The demand for miniature precision products has accelerated research in high-speed micromachining processes, leading to continuous upgrades and downscaling to produce precision miniature products with desired surface finish and accuracy. The reduction in diameter of micro cutting tools and the increase in rotational speed of spindles have been driven by this demand. Biofabrication requires components with a precision surface finish, and traditional processes like chemical etching, soft lithography, inkjet printing, and fused filament fabrication are limited for materials like silicon. However, micromilling has attracted researchers to explore its potential for biofabrication due to its high aspect ratio and 3-dimensional geometry. High-speed machining generates more temperature, which must be dissipated. Accurate identification of contact between the micro cutting tool and workpiece is necessary to reduce geometrical and form errors, wear, and material wastage, especially for microneedle array manufacturing. The micro cutting tool setting is difficult due to the size scale involved in the micromachining process. Energy requirements can be minimized by reducing energy consumption during idle machining processes and reducing the amount of coolant supply with intermittent supply. Technological gaps have been identified in literature reviews, including the development of cutting tool and workpiece contact identification methods, estimation methods for distance between the cutting tool and workpiece, signal analysis methods for acoustic sensor contact detection, and a sustainable, efficient coolant system to avoid lubrication pockets in microscale machining.