An experimental study of enhancing glass machining via vibration-assisted micro-milling

Glass, with its valuable properties, finds extensive use in aerospace, optics, and biomedical fields. Owing to its low fracture toughness, glass typically fractures in a brittle manner during machining, resulting in poor surface quality. This paper presents an experimental investigation of vibration-assisted machining (VAM) techniques to enhance the machining of glass materials. A novel high-frequency two-dimensional VAM system specifically designed for glass is introduced, and slot milling experiments are conducted using ultrasonic high-frequency vibrations. A low-frequency nonresonant VAM system is also employed for comparison purposes. A comprehensive examination is made of the effects of various machining parameters, such as feed rate, cutting speeds, and vibration parameters, including vibration modes and amplitudes, on the machining performance of glass. Surface roughness, edge chipping generation, and tool wear are thoroughly characterized using scanning electron microscopy. The findings demonstrate that under specific machining and vibration parameters, the proposed ultrasonic vibration-assisted micro-milling (UVAMM) system can achieve a nanometric surface roughness Ra for glass. The UVAMM system offers enhanced surface quality, improved edge quality, and reduced tool wear compared with conventional machining techniques. This study provides valuable insights and directions for the application of 2D VAM systems in achieving superior machining results for glass components at small scales with nanometric surface finishes.