Abstract
The fabrication of microarray on curved surface usually requires macro tool and micro tool, respectively. But the two different machining processes and devices lead to the processing complexity and difficulty of high-freedom microarray curved surface. Hence, the grinding of micro-cutting-edge array on macro cutting edges of ball-end cutter is proposed by using a micro V-tip of diamond wheel. The objective is to directly replicate the micro-cutting edges on cutter to the milled freeform surface. First, the geometric parameters of micro-cutting-edges on cutter were established; then geometric relationship between the micro V-tip of diamond wheel and the micro-cutting-edges on cutter was established. The results show that micro-tip angle of diamond wheel and micro-cutting-edge position have greater impact on microarray curved surface, but cutter radius, wheel radius and grinding depth have smaller impact. As a result, the microarrays may be directly machined on macro freeform surface during 5-axis milling by the micro-grinding of micro-cutting-edges on ball-end cutter.
