Electrochemical machining (ECM) is a non-conventional machining technique capable of machining any conductive substrate, regardless of its physical properties e.g. hardness. ECM became an attractive method due to its ability to machine substrates without creating a defective surface layer. ECM utilises electrolysis; a small gap is maintained between two electrodes whilst a favourable potential is applied between them to remove material from the workpiece. The parameters are adjusted to obtain the desired machining results i.e. surface finish, machining resolution and machining rate. Much work has been conducted for the anodic dissolution of stainless steels and brass but little work outside of these materials is available. This work demonstrates the applicability of ECM for a new range of materials; superconductors and semiconductors, along with the application of ECM for medical needle production and an alteration to the machine set up to anodically dissolve titanium metal at reduced potentials. Through a series of electrochemical techniques, namely polarisation curves, machining potentials were defined for a cuprate superconductor and a semiconductor. These were then demonstrated as suitable settings by completing tests on an electrochemical machine. Hypodermic needles were created on an electrochemical machine and polarisation curves of titanium with the addition of ultrasonic vibrations were used to demonstrate the anodic dissolution of titanium at much reduced potentials.

The world is experiencing a growing demand for miniaturised products. Micro-milling, using carbide micro tools has the potential for direct, economical manufacture of micro parts from a wide range of workpiece materials. However, in previous studies several critical issues have been identified that preclude the direct application of macro machining knowledge in the micro domain through simple dimensional analysis. The research presented in this thesis focused on some of the areas that require development of the scientific knowledge base to enable determining improved microscale cutting performance. In the mechanical micro machining of coarse grained materials, the programmed undeformed chip thickness can be lower than the length scale of the workpiece grains. Moreover, when the microstructure of such materials is composed of more than one phase, the micro cutting process can be undertaken at a length scale where this heterogeneity has to be considered. Driven by this challenge, the material microstructure 'size effect' on micro-machinability of coarse grain steel materials was investigated in this PhD. In this regard, a predominantly single phase ferritic workpiece steel material and another workpiece material with near balanced ferrite/pearlite volume fractions was studied over a range of feedrates. The results suggested that for micro machined parts, differential elastic recovery between phases leads to higher surface roughness when the surface quality of micro machined multiphase phase material is compared to that of single phase material. On the other hand, for single phase predominantly ferritic materials, reducing burr size and tool wear are major challenges. In micro machining the so called 'size effect' has been identified as critical in defining the process performance. However, an extensive literature search had indicated that there was no clear reported evidence on the effect of process variables on driving this size effect phenomenon. It is often assumed in literature that the un-deformed chip thickness was the main factor driving the size effect. This limit manufactures to only altering the feedrate to try and influence size effect. To explore the significance of a range of inputs variables and specifically, cutting variables on the size effect, micro cutting tests were conducted on Inconel 718 nickel alloy. Taguchi methodology along with signal processing techniques were applied to micro milling acoustic emission signals to identify frequency/energy bands and hence size effect specific process mechanism. The dominant cutting parameters for size effect characteristics were determined by analysis of variance. These findings show that despite most literature focussing on chip thickness as the dominant parameter on size effect, the cutting velocity is a dominant factor on size effect related process performance. This suggests that manipulating the cutting speed can also be a very effective strategy in optimising surface finish in micro machining and in breaking the lower limit of micro machining.In micro machining the lower limit of the process window is set by the minimum chip thickness. Identifying this limit is thus important for establishing the process window. Process windows are valuable guidelines for industrial selection of cutting conditions. Additionally, understanding factors that influence the value of minimum chip thickness is even more important for progressing micro machining capability to the nano-scale machining regime. For this reason, in this PhD study, acoustic emission signatures emanating from microscale milling of six different workpiece materials were characterised to identify the rubbing mode and this enabled the identification of the threshold conditions for occurrence of minimum chip thickness. The minimum chip thickness predicted by this novel approach compares reasonably well to the values that exist in published literature. Additionally, the decomposition of raw acoustic signal allowed the determination of energy levels corresponding to deformation mechanisms. The PhD work provides significant and new knowledge on the utility and importance of acoustic emission signals in characterising chip formation in micro machining. A novel method for determining the minimum chip thickness was developed, micro machining chip formation mechanisms were identified and the machinability of coarse grained multiphase material is presented.

In this study, an electrolytic micro-machining tester is employed to investigate the effects of the supply voltage, the immerse depth of tungsten rod, and the machining time on the current waveform, the material removal rate, and the geometry of the tungsten needle. The tungsten rod to be electrolyzed is dipped in an aqueous electrolyte of 10 wt% sodium hydroxide as the anode, and the stainless steel ring as the cathode. The spindle rotating speed and the stirring rotating speed are set to be 100 rpm and 200rpm, respectively. According to analyze the topography of the tungsten needle, four machined regimes have been identified as:¡]1¡^non-machined regime,¡]2¡^incomplete machined regime,¡]3¡^complete machined regime,¡]4¡^over machined regime. In order to obtain the perfect tungsten needle, the experiments are conducted in the complete machined regime. Results show that the tungsten rod becomes a short cone for the immerse depth of 5 mm, and a long cone for the depth of 10mm. When the immerse depth of 10 mm and the supply voltage of 3V, the surface of tungsten needle becomes rough slightly and the tip radius of tungsten needle is about 2£gm. With increasing the supply voltage to 4.5 V, the surface of tungsten needle is uniform with a downward trend in material removal rate, and the tip radius can achieve a submicron. For the supply voltage of 6V, because the material removal rate varies violently, it becomes very difficult to control the diameter of tungsten needle. During the machining time between 0 to 10 min for the supply voltage of 4.5V, the diameter of tungsten rod is decreased from 1000 to 200£gm, but during the machining time between 10 to 12.5 min, the tungsten rod gradually transforms into the needle due to a downward trend in current, and the tip radius is decreased from 200£gm to submicron. Hence, the machining time must be controlled accurately to manufacture the needle in a submicron radius.

L’aéroacoustique est une filière de l'acoustique qui étudie la génération de bruit par un mouvement fluidique turbulent ou par les forces aérodynamiques qui interagissent avec les surfaces. Ce secteur en pleine croissance a attiré des intérêts récents en raison de l’évolution de la transportation aérienne, terrestre et spatiale. Les microphones avec une bande passante de plusieurs centaines de kHz et une plage dynamique couvrant de 40Pa à 4 kPa sont nécessaires pour les mesures aéroacoustiques. Dans cette thèse, deux microphones MEMS de type piézorésistif à base de silicium polycristallin (poly-Si) latéralement cristallisé par l’induction métallique (MILC) sont conçus et fabriqués en utilisant respectivement les techniques de microfabrication de surface et de volume. Ces microphones sont calibrés à l'aide d'une source d’onde de choc (N-wave) générée par une étincelle électrique. Pour l'échantillon fabriqué par le micro-usinage de surface, la sensibilité statique mesurée est 0.4μV/V/Pa, la sensibilité dynamique est 0.033μV/V/Pa et la plage fréquentielle couvre à partir de 100 kHz avec une fréquence du premier mode de résonance à 400kHz. Pour l'échantillon fabriqué par le micro-usinage de volume, la sensibilité statique mesurée est 0.28μV/V/Pa, la sensibilité dynamique est 0.33μV/V/Pa et la plage fréquentielle couvre à partir de 6 kHz avec une fréquence du premier mode de résonance à 715kHz. / Aero-acoustics, a branch of acoustics which studies noise generation via either turbulent fluid motion or aerodynamic forces interacting with surfaces, is a growing area and has received fresh emphasis due to advances in air, ground and space transportation. Microphones with a bandwidth of several hundreds of kHz and a dynamic range covering 40Pa to 4kPa are needed for aero-acoustic measurements. In this thesis, two metal-induced-lateral-crystallized (MILC) polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) based piezoresistive type MEMS microphones are designed and fabricated using surface micromachining and bulk micromachining techniques, respectively. These microphones are calibrated using an electrical spark generated shockwave (N-wave) source. For the surface micromachined sample, the measured static sensitivity is 0.4μV/V/Pa, dynamic sensitivity is 0.033μV/V/Pa and the frequency range starts from 100kHz with a first mode resonant frequency of 400kHz. For the bulk micromachined sample, the measured static sensitivity is 0.28μV/V/Pa, dynamic sensitivity is 0.33μV/V/Pa and the frequency range starts from 6kHz with a first mode resonant frequency of 715kHz.

Product miniaturization is a long-term trend. Mechanical micro-machining is a suitable technique for manufacturing of microstructures characterized by cheap equipments, less working time, and possible complex geometry. For the requirements for high precision manufacture, the use of minimum/minimal quantity lubrication (MQL) is a good strategy for micro-machining due to long tool life and high product accuracy. This study presents an experimental investigation of the MQL in micro milling. The tool wear, surface roughness, and burr formation are observed at different feeds (1 £gm/rev, 1.5 £gm/rev, and 2 £gm/rev) and cutting speeds ( 37.7 m/min, 56.55 m/min, and 75.4 m/min) under dry and MQL cutting. Unlike conventional milling, greater tool wear is observed at lower feeds. Compared with the same cutting condition for dry cutting (feed 2 £gm/rev, cutting speed 56.55 m/min), MQL can reduce the tool wear about 56%. In terms of the consumption of the cutting fluid, oil flow rate of 1.88 ml/h is sufficient for reducing the tool wear in micro milling. According to the experimental results, deterioration of surface finish and burr formation are closely related to the tool wear. The use of MQL, not only reduces the tool wear, but also diminishes the deterioration of surface finish (the improvement of Ra is at least 0.6 £gm) and the burr formation.

The effect of particle size, velocity, and angle of attack was investigated on the roughness and erosion rate of unmasked channels machined in borosilicate glass using abrasive jet micro-machining (AJM). Single impact experiments were conducted to quantify the damage due to the individual alumina particles. Based on these observations, an analytical model from the literature was modified and used to predict the roughness and erosion rate. A numerical model was then developed to simulate the brittle erosion process leading to the creation of unmasked channels as a function of particle size, velocity, dose, impact angle and target material properties. For the first time, erosion was simulated using models of two damage mechanisms: crater removal due to the formation and growth of lateral cracks, and edge chipping. Accuracy was further enhanced by simulating the actual relationship between particle size, velocity and radial location within the jet using distributions measured with high-speed laser shadowgraphy. The process of post-blasting AJM channels with abrasive particles at a relatively low kinetic energy was also investigated in the present work by measuring the roughness reduction of a reference unmasked channel in borosilicate glass as a function of post-blasting particle size, velocity, dose, and impact angle. The numerical model was modified and used to simulate the post-blasting process leading to the creation of smooth channels as a function of particle size, velocity, dose, impact angle, and target material properties. Finally, the effect of alumina particle kinetic energy and jet impact angle on the roughness and erosion rate of channels machined in borosilicate glass using abrasive slurry jet micro-machining (ASJM) was investigated. The analytical and numerical models derived for AJM, were found to predict reasonably well the roughness and the erosion rate of ASJM channels, despite the large differences in the fluid media, flow patterns, and particle trajectories in AJM and ASJM.

The effect of particle size, velocity, and angle of attack was investigated on the roughness and erosion rate of unmasked channels machined in borosilicate glass using abrasive jet micro-machining (AJM). Single impact experiments were conducted to quantify the damage due to the individual alumina particles. Based on these observations, an analytical model from the literature was modified and used to predict the roughness and erosion rate. A numerical model was then developed to simulate the brittle erosion process leading to the creation of unmasked channels as a function of particle size, velocity, dose, impact angle and target material properties. For the first time, erosion was simulated using models of two damage mechanisms: crater removal due to the formation and growth of lateral cracks, and edge chipping. Accuracy was further enhanced by simulating the actual relationship between particle size, velocity and radial location within the jet using distributions measured with high-speed laser shadowgraphy. The process of post-blasting AJM channels with abrasive particles at a relatively low kinetic energy was also investigated in the present work by measuring the roughness reduction of a reference unmasked channel in borosilicate glass as a function of post-blasting particle size, velocity, dose, and impact angle. The numerical model was modified and used to simulate the post-blasting process leading to the creation of smooth channels as a function of particle size, velocity, dose, impact angle, and target material properties. Finally, the effect of alumina particle kinetic energy and jet impact angle on the roughness and erosion rate of channels machined in borosilicate glass using abrasive slurry jet micro-machining (ASJM) was investigated. The analytical and numerical models derived for AJM, were found to predict reasonably well the roughness and the erosion rate of ASJM channels, despite the large differences in the fluid media, flow patterns, and particle trajectories in AJM and ASJM.

In today’s society, dental implants are a growing solution for dental care. However, most dental components are very expensive when imported, and are purchased at premium costs solely from a few international companies. It is estimated that the current market price of dental implants is as much as one thousand times the material cost. To be cost effective in a growing competitive market, a local company is looking into producing their own components, and requires knowledge of manufacturing and quality assurance or expertise in order to validate the effectiveness of their fabricated components. These fabricated components need to be tested against currently in use market components in order to assure that prototype components are not inferior to the current market supply. The present study focuses on the analysis of the fabrication process of dental implants, specifically the abutments and screws. The objective is to compare material properties of prototype and market components to determine if the prototype components have adequate quality. Furthermore, simulated models are developed for predicting material property changes due to the manufacturing process. The material properties are determined through hardness testing and microstructure analysis. Visual inspection is then used to investigate and characterize the components. The simulations use different machining parameters, such as the feed rate and the cutting speed to determine residual stress patterns. Dental implant abutments and screws were successfully tested and compared. The prototypes show a good hardness and microstructure properties similar to market components, indicating a high level of prototype quality. The simulated models were successfully created and provided an adequate level of customization to be usable in place of future mechanical testing and showed results that complimented experimental findings. The standard cutting speed of 2000 rpm (100%) in the prototypes produced the optimal hardness and surface roughness. Prototypes were found to have an acceptable level of both hardness and surface finish for the investigated 50%, 100% and 150% of the standard 2000 rpm feed rate.

O desenvolvimento de sistemas laser com pulsos ultracurtos trouxe a possibilidade de usinagem de estruturas muito pequenas em praticamente qualquer tipo de material. Neste trabalho foi dada continuidade a estudos já iniciados no Centro de Lasers e Aplicações (CLA) com os materiais dielétricos, introduzindo a largura temporal dos pulsos laser como mais uma variável e utilizando os conhecimentos adquiridos para a determinação de limiares de ablação e parâmetros de incubação em alguns metais como: aço AISI 1045, aço inoxidável VI138, cobre eletrolítico e molibdênio. A ausência de calor no processo de ablação dos metais torna-se muito difícil, pois a criação de uma camada de íons é muito prejudicada pela mobilidade eletrônica ao seu redor. Assim a ablação de metais com pulsos ultracurtos, tem como principal mecanismo a explosão de fase associada a outros processos que também contribuem na ablação, porém em menor escala, como a explosão coulombiana e a fusão ultrarrápida. Além disso, propriedades como a constante de acoplamento elétron-fônon e a condutividade térmica assumem um papel importante e devem ser levadas em conta na investigação do processo de ablação dos metais. Este trabalho possibilitou a obtenção de parâmetros de operação nos quais o calor transferido para a rede é minimizado, possibilitando a microusinagem de precisão e alterações controladas na morfologia da superfície de diversos metais. Os resultados propiciaram assim condições para novos desenvolvimentos e aplicações práticas de usinagem com pulsos ultracurtos. / The development of laser systems with ultrashort pulses brought the possibility of machining very small structures in virtually any type of material. In this work was continued the studies already started in Lasers and Applications Center (CLA), with dielectric materials, introducing temporal width of the laser pulses as another variable, and using the knowledge acquired to determine ablation threshold and incubation parameters of some metals such as AISI 1045 steel, VI 138 stainless steel, electrolytic copper and molybdenum. The absence of heat in the ablation process of metals is much more difficult since the creation of a layer of ions is greatly impaired by electronic mobility in its vicinity. Hence, the ablation process for metals with ultrashort pulses, has, as main mechanism, the phase explosion associated with other processes that also contribute in the process, but on a smaller scale, such as Coulomb explosion and ultrafast fusion. Moreover, properties such as electron-phonon coupling constant and thermal conductivity play an important role and should be taken into account in investigating the process of ablation of metals. This study made it possible to obtain operation parameter where the heat transferred to the lattice is minimized, enabling precision micromachining and controlled changes in the morphology of the surface of metals. The results provided conditions for new developments and real machining applications with ultrashort pulses.

O desenvolvimento de sistemas laser com pulsos ultracurtos trouxe a possibilidade de usinagem de estruturas muito pequenas em praticamente qualquer tipo de material. Neste trabalho foi dada continuidade a estudos já iniciados no Centro de Lasers e Aplicações (CLA) com os materiais dielétricos, introduzindo a largura temporal dos pulsos laser como mais uma variável e utilizando os conhecimentos adquiridos para a determinação de limiares de ablação e parâmetros de incubação em alguns metais como: aço AISI 1045, aço inoxidável VI138, cobre eletrolítico e molibdênio. A ausência de calor no processo de ablação dos metais torna-se muito difícil, pois a criação de uma camada de íons é muito prejudicada pela mobilidade eletrônica ao seu redor. Assim a ablação de metais com pulsos ultracurtos, tem como principal mecanismo a explosão de fase associada a outros processos que também contribuem na ablação, porém em menor escala, como a explosão coulombiana e a fusão ultrarrápida. Além disso, propriedades como a constante de acoplamento elétron-fônon e a condutividade térmica assumem um papel importante e devem ser levadas em conta na investigação do processo de ablação dos metais. Este trabalho possibilitou a obtenção de parâmetros de operação nos quais o calor transferido para a rede é minimizado, possibilitando a microusinagem de precisão e alterações controladas na morfologia da superfície de diversos metais. Os resultados propiciaram assim condições para novos desenvolvimentos e aplicações práticas de usinagem com pulsos ultracurtos. / The development of laser systems with ultrashort pulses brought the possibility of machining very small structures in virtually any type of material. In this work was continued the studies already started in Lasers and Applications Center (CLA), with dielectric materials, introducing temporal width of the laser pulses as another variable, and using the knowledge acquired to determine ablation threshold and incubation parameters of some metals such as AISI 1045 steel, VI 138 stainless steel, electrolytic copper and molybdenum. The absence of heat in the ablation process of metals is much more difficult since the creation of a layer of ions is greatly impaired by electronic mobility in its vicinity. Hence, the ablation process for metals with ultrashort pulses, has, as main mechanism, the phase explosion associated with other processes that also contribute in the process, but on a smaller scale, such as Coulomb explosion and ultrafast fusion. Moreover, properties such as electron-phonon coupling constant and thermal conductivity play an important role and should be taken into account in investigating the process of ablation of metals. This study made it possible to obtain operation parameter where the heat transferred to the lattice is minimized, enabling precision micromachining and controlled changes in the morphology of the surface of metals. The results provided conditions for new developments and real machining applications with ultrashort pulses.