Novel method for burrs quantitative evaluation in micro-milling

One of the major issues of the micro-milling operations pertains to burrs formation, which affects the quality of the final product, and, thus, the capability to meet the part desired performances. Burrs characterization and evaluation are still a challenging task in micro-machining, especially if on-machine monitoring of burrs is desired. This paper proposes a newly developed method based on optical microscopy, a-priori information on the manufacturing process, and an unconventional use of void pixels for fast and non-destructive evaluation of multiple geometrical quantities. Newly defined parameters on burrs lateral distribution and axial depth of cut are presented in addition to the standard surface texture parameters. The proposed methodology is applied to slotting micro-milling operations on pure titanium grade II. The obtained results show the method potential that can be exploited for on-machine monitoring of micro-milling operations.