Analysis on characteristics of milling force in micro-milling of ZrO₂ ceramics

Aiming to the micro and precision machining of ceramics, micro-milling of fully sintered ZrO₂ with diamond-coated micro end mills was carried out. The geometry characteristics of cutting zone in micro milling of ceramic materials were introduced. The reason of single edge cutting phenomenon was also analysed. The cutting force signals were measured by a dynamometer. The effects of cutting parameters and tool wear on the milling force were investigated respectively. The results reveal that when micro milling ceramics, the phenomenon of milling with only one cutting edge is more likely to occur due to small feed per tooth. The milling force in axial component, F_z, is bigger than the other two. It shows an uptrend while increasing the feed per tooth. With the increasing of cutting length, the milling forces show an increasing trend with some fluctuations due to aggravated tool wear. The increase rate of F_z is much biggerthan that of F_x and F_y.