Drilling performance of non-coaxial helical flank micro-drill with cross-shaped chisel edge

Cross-shaped chisel edge thinning is an effective method to improve the drilling performance of non-coaxial helical flank micro-drill. In order to study the effect of the cross-shaped chisel edge on drilling performance, the mathematical model of cross-shaped chisel edge is proposed. The rake angle, lip inclination angle, uncut chip thickness, and uncut chip width are calculated by MATLAB software. Finite element models of four kinds of micro-drills with a different thinned chisel edge are established using DEFORM-3D software, and micro-drilling simulations on 304 austenitic stainless steel are carried out. The simulation results show that with a decrease in chisel edge length, the drilling force, tool temperature, tool wear, and curl degree of the chip are clearly reduced. However, for micro-drill without chisel edge, the torque and tool temperature are larger than other micro-drills, and string chips are generated during the drilling process. Furthermore, the non-coaxial helical flank micro-drill with an optimal cross-shaped chisel edge is manufactured by a six-axis CNC grinding machine, and the measurement results indicate that the geometrical parameters meet the designed values. At last, the micro-drill with an optimal cross-shaped chisel edge has a satisfactory drilling performance by the micro-drilling experiment.