Micro-D² project

 https://www.europe-bfc.eu/   

Micro-D² project

Hard Micro-Undercutting

Undercutting is the multi-operation turning process used to make precision components from materials in bar-form. These techniques must be adapted to meet the evolution in the materials and markets for micro-components.

A team from the FEMTO-ST Institute’s Applied Mechanics Department works with Industrial businesses in the Franche-Comté area to develop these micro-machining techniques with the support of Bourgogne Franche-Comté Region, Europe and BPI France.

Description

The micro-components used in micro-mechanics are generally obtained by micro-milling, spark-erosion cutting or by undercutting (multi-operation bar turning/milling). The distinctive feature of undercutting machines is that they make it possible to string together a large number of machining operations without changing machine as well as part placing operations, which guarantees good productivity and great dimensional and geometric precision for the parts produced.

Although the machining operations on the most common metals are generally well-controlled by undercutting specialists, new materials with degraded machinability are emerging that pose a problem because the tools wear out faster, the parts collapse under the effect of the forces generated by cutting, and serious burring may occur requiring additional, sometimes manual operations. In addition, the dimensional accuracy of the parts and the production financial margins are very difficult to guarantee in series production. Furthermore, some parts require reworking operations on certain surfaces (deburring, polishing, rolling/tumbling). As a complement to this project, these operations can be integrated in the undercutting manufacturing procedure in order to improve quality and productivity.

This project’s undercutting company partners therefore want to develop their control over the machining and finishing operations on materials with degraded machinability because of the changes in the design of parts or in the environmental standards, including at the smallest scales, in order to be competitive on the market for micro-components. To achieve this, they want to work together in order to develop and share an enhanced know-how in this central area of their activities, and to collaborate with academic partners that have the advanced means of implementation and characterisation and knowledge that is already recognised in the area of micro-machining of metallic materials Exchanges with cutting tool and coating specialists are also necessary.

At the level of the FEMTO-ST Institute and of the organisations under its supervision, this project fits in with the developments of the MIFHySTO (micromanufacturing for the miniaturisation, functionalisation and hybridisation of micro-technical systems and tooling) platform launched in 2012 which was housed in the SUPMICROTECH-ENSMM transfer building in 2016

Duration

June 2015/December 2018

Partners

DDLG (DÉCOLLETAGE DE LA GARENNE)
BARON
IDMM
FRALSEN

Contact details