An experimental analysis of process parameters to manufacture metallic micro-channels by micro-milling

Miniaturisation of products is a current megatrend, and it presents a wider range of opportunities to expand manufacturing markets. Micro-device design and manufacturing is a growing area of scientific interest for large number of industrial fields. This paper reports the characterisation of micro-milling process to manufacture micro-channels in order to understand the behaviour of process parameters when a standard milling machine is used. This study is based on micro-channel manufacturing through a set of experiments varying parameters such as spindle speed (N), depth of cut per pass (a (p)), depth (d), feed per tooth (fz) and coolant application. Materials used were aluminium and copper with a hardness of 21 HRB and 72 HRB copper, respectively. Results are obtained by evaluating dimensions, shape and surface finish of the micro-channel. The use of coolant in micro-milling is found to be a relevant factor to improve micro-channel-achieved dimensions and surface finish. In general, micro-channels in aluminium were found to achieve better quality than those in copper.