Published papers

In ultrasonic-assisted machining, vibration amplitudes can be controlled at the resonant frequency by altering the ultrasonic power. However, the availability of amplitude controlled ultrasonic power is constrained to limited types of machine tools. The present study introduces a novel idea for generating identified vibration amplitudes for a diamond-grinding tool by adjusting the ultrasonic frequency in the range from 20 kHz to 30 kHz. For this purpose, experimental model analysis (EMA) is carried out on five different diamond-grinding tools to obtain their frequency response function (FRF) curves. The vibration amplitude is measured using a dial indicator and eddy current sensor methods. Further analysis is conducted using 3D laser microscope after machining to decide the proper measurement method. It is found that various amplitudes can be successfully accurately reached from an individual cutting tool by altering the input ultrasonic frequency according to the generated FRF curve of the tool.

This study investigated the effects of micro- and nanostructures on the adhesion strength between copper and an encapsulating mold compound (EMC). The shape of the microgrooves was designed based on fracture mechanics theory, and the effect of laser-induced periodic structure surface (LIPSS) formation on the microgroove was investigated using numerical simulations. The designed surface profiles were fabricated using femtosecond laser treatments, and the adhesion strength between copper and the EMC was evaluated. The results show that deep microgrooves improved the adhesion strength owing to the anchor effect. However, the aspect ratio between the pitch and depth of the microgroove had a limitation in enhancing the adhesion strength. The formation of LIPSSs on the mountaintop of the microgroove was very effective; however, an LIPSS on the valley of the microgroove was ineffective. Numerical analyses revealed that LIPSSs suppressed the shear deformation of the EMC and worked as resistance to interface delamination. Based on the findings obtained in this study, combining micro- and nano-scale surface structure formation with femtosecond laser treatments is an effective and eco-friendly method for improving adhesion strength.

Water repellency of superhydrophobic surfaces offers an opportunity to enhance the corrosion and icing resistance of metallic glasses (MGs). Inspired by the “lotus effect” in nature, hierarchical micro/nanostructures were constructed on a Zr-based MG surface using nanosecond laser ablation. By subsequent heat treatment in air, the structured surface showed a water contact angle (CA) of 168.2 ± 1.5° and a sliding angle (SA) of 4 ± 0.7° (adhesion force of 9.8 ± 1.7 μN), exhibiting repellency and low adhesion to water. Specifically, the superhydrophobic surface stored in air and immersed in water possessed stability and durability, and the superhydrophobic surface still maintained superhydrophobicity after mechanical scratching. The heat treatment temperature worked as a switch for controlling the wettability transition, and by tuning the temperature, the structured surface can switch from superhydrophobicity (CA: 168.2 ± 1.5°) to superhydrophilicity (CA: ~0°). Furthermore, compared to the polished MG surface, the superhydrophobic surface increased the corrosion resistance and freezing time, and delayed the freezing temperature. This study provides a facile non-fluorinated method for fabricating superhydrophobic MG surfaces with anti-corrosion and anti-icing properties, which would enhance the application of MGs as structural and functional materials under extreme conditions.

Pulsed laser irradiation is widely used for coloring metallic glass (MG) surfaces due to its efficient and clean processing characteristics. However, the hardness and tribological properties of laser colored MG surfaces have rarely been studied. In this study, various colors were prepared on Ti-based MGs by nanosecond pulsed laser irradiation, and the mechanical properties of the colored surfaces were subsequently investigated. Before hardness testing, the colored surfaces were slightly polished and characterized for surface morphology and phase composition. The hardness of the colored surfaces was measured by a nanoindentation instrument, and the corresponding load depth curves and residual indentations were obtained. The results showed a 39% increase in hardness compared to the as-cast surface. Scratch tests were performed to investigate the tribological properties of the colored surfaces. The residual scratches and three dimensional (3D) topographies exhibited diverse features, and the scratch damage mechanism was analyzed accordingly. This study broadened the knowledge of surface hardness and tribological properties, and illustrated the application potentials of laser colored MGs.

Trochoidal milling has been developed to extend the cutting tool life as compared to conventional milling. It is widely used in the machining of slots and corners of molds and dies. There are several tool paths typically used in trochoidal milling such as true, circular, variable-feed, and variable-step trochoidal tool paths. However, these paths suffer from low material removal rates, low surface qualities, high CPU processing times, and/or the requirement of high-dynamic machine tools. Elliptical trochoidal tool path showed its capability to improve the material removal rate, but the expected low surface quality of the produced slot. In this paper, the elliptical tool path will be analyzed analytically and experimentally. The effect of elliptical tool path on material removal rate, cutting forces, walls waviness, and surface roughness have been investigated. A novel linear elliptical-based tool path has been proposed to enhance the elliptical tool path performance by improving both material removal rate and surface quality. A Performance index has been utilized to evaluate the performance of these processes. An analytical model for the local maximum chip thickness in elliptical tool path has been conducted to correlate this path with the cutting forces. The slot walls waviness has been modeled based on the cutting tool path geometry and validated experimentally with error less than 11%. The experimental results showed that the elliptical tool path improved the material removal rate by 11%, with a slight reduction in the maximum resultant cutting force by 3%. On the other hand, the walls waviness and surface roughness have been increased by 45% and 38% respectively as compared to the typical true trochoidal tool path. The introduction of linear paths at the elliptical path sides in the linear-elliptical tool path improved the performance index about 18 times by improving the material removal rate, waviness, and surface quality by 5%, 300%, and 74% respectively, without a significant effect on cutting forces. Therefore, the novel linear-elliptical paths are promising tool paths in increasing the performance of trochoidal milling due to the improved material removal rate, walls waviness, and surface quality, without a significant effect on cutting forces, which will improve the process machinability and cost-effectiveness.

Reaction-bonded silicon carbide (RB-SiC) is gaining increasing attention due to its exceptional mechanical properties contributed by the dispersion of hard silicon carbide (SiC) and silicon (Si), which has been extensively applied in aerospace and automobile industries. Fabrication of micro/nano structures on the RB-SiC surface can endow it some specific functional properties, but conventional manufacturing procedures face challenges due to the intrinsic hard-brittle nature of RB-SiC. In the present study, various micro/nano structures, including dome-like particle structures, micro-cone structures and the spider web-like film, are fabricated on the RB-SiC surface by nanosecond pulsed laser irradiation under different experimental conditions. Comparative experiments are performed to explore the effects of laser power and scanning speed on the microscopic morphology and chemical composition. Consequently, the ablation mechanism is clarified. The formation of micro-cone structures covered by the spider web-like film can result in a wettability transition of the RB-SiC surface from hydrophilicity to superhydrophilicity. In addition, by introducing the spider web-like film, the reflectivity of the RB-SiC surface is increased by an impressive 83% or more in the wavelength range of 200 to 2500 nm. This study provides a method for improving the surface properties of RB-SiC substrates using a laser-based approach, which is anticipated to expand their application prospects as functional materials.

Understanding the physical mechanism of laser-material interaction is significant and meaningful in both pure science and engineering applications. Laser ablation induced micro-concave is a commonly-observed phenomenon, but the formation of micro-convex by laser ablation is rarely reported. In this study, the transformation in surface microstructure from micro-concave to micro-convex, then to micro-concave again was reported for the first time in laser ablation of a typical Zr-based metallic glass (MG). The experimental results indicated that such transformations strongly depended on the peak laser power intensity and number of laser pulses. The coupling effects of the recoil pressure and Marangoni flow were proposed to explain the observed transformation. By locally overlapping adjacent micro-convexes, various surface patterns could be fabricated on the MG surface, which could tune its surface wettability. This study would not only enhance the understanding of laser-MG interaction but also provide new methods for patterning MG surface.

Ti6Al4V is one of the most widely used titanium alloys due to its excellent mechanical, physical, and chemical properties. Laser surface texturing is a promising method to endow new functions of material surfaces; however, direct generation of laser-induced periodic surface structure (LIPSS) on the Ti6Al4V surface by nanosecond laser is rarely reported. In this study, by nanosecond laser irradiation in nitrogen atmosphere, the ripples (a typical LIPSS) were directly fabricated on the Ti6Al4V surface. By single-line laser scanning, the effects of laser irradiation parameters including the laser power and repetition frequency on the formation and evolution of the ripples were systematically investigated, followed by optimizing the laser irradiation parameters to achieve the large-area regular and clear ripples with relatively good surface quality as well. Furthermore, by performing contrast experiments in argon atmosphere, the role of nitrogen atmosphere on the formation of ripples was confirmed. Accordingly, formation mechanism of the ripples was discussed. Finally, the effects of the formed ripples on the surface color and wettability were preliminarily characterized to demonstrate the potential applications of surface ripples. This paper provides a nitrogen assisted method to fabricate large-area ripples on the Ti6Al4V surface by nanosecond laser irradiation.

The functional properties of metallic glasses (MGs) can be enhanced by introducing special micro/nano-structures on their surface. In this study, a nanosecond pulsed laser was used to texture micro-convex array structures with different pitches (P) on a Zr-based MG surface to enrich its engineering applications. The reflection characteristics and wettability of polished and textured surfaces were compared. The experimental results showed that unlike the bright spot reflected from the polished surface, the light reflected from the textured surface would induce a well-defined diffraction pattern. In addition, the wettability of the surfaces covered with micro-convex array structures was also different from that of the polished surface. That is, without post-processing, the textured array structures would promote hydrophilicity; while after exposing in the air for 100 days or fluoroalkylsilane modification, the textured array structures facilitated hydrophobicity.

The low hardness and poor tribological properties of titanium and its alloys significantly hinder their practical engineering applications, so surface nitriding or texturing is widely employed to improve the surface performances. However, previous studies mainly used the single method (surface nitriding or texturing), and simultaneous nitriding and texturing are rarely reported. Therefore, their combined effects on the surface mechanical and tribological properties are rarely investigated as well. In this study, by nanosecond pulse laser irradiation in nitrogen atmosphere, simultaneous nitriding and texturing of the Ti6Al4V surface were achieved. The effects of laser parameters including laser power, laser overlap rate, and number of scanning cycles, on the surface hardness and tribological properties of laser irradiated surfaces were comparatively studied. The experimental results showed that after simultaneous laser nitriding and texturing, the surface hardness of Ti6Al4V surface was increased by 50%~95%, and the coefficient of friction (COF) was reduced by 70%~80%. Furthermore, the laser processed surfaces obtained under various irradiation parameters presented quite different scratching characteristics, and the corresponding deformation mechanisms during scratching were analyzed. This study provides a simple and effective method by simultaneous laser nitriding and texturing for improving the surface properties of Ti6Al4V, which would be meaningful for its practical engineering applications.

Diamond turning based on a fast tool servo (FTS) is widely used in freeform optics fabrication due to its high accuracy and machining efficiency. As a new trend, recently developed high-frequency and long-stroke FTS units are independently driven by a separate control system from the machine tool controller. However, the tool path generation strategy for the independently controlled FTS is far from complete. This study aims to establish methods for optimizing tool path for the independent control FTS to reduce form errors in a single step of machining. Different from the conventional integrated FTS control system, where control points are distributed in a spiral pattern, in this study, the tool path for the independent FTS controller is generated by the ring method and the mesh method, respectively. The machined surface profile is predicted by simulation and the parameters for the control point generation are optimized by minimizing the deviation between the predicted and the designed surfaces. To demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed tool path generation strategies, cutting tests of a two-dimensional sinewave and a micro-lens array were conducted and the results were compared. As a result, after tool path optimization, the peak-to-valley form error of the machined surface was reduced from 429 nm to 56 nm for the two-dimensional sinewave by using the ring method, and from 191 nm to 103 nm for the micro-lens array by using the mesh method, respectively.

Characterizing the shear band of metallic glasses (MGs) is meaningful to understand its plastic deformation mechanism. However, the direct method for detecting the internal shear bands of deformed MGs with large field of view is still lacking. Inspired by the fact that surface defects have the enhanced absorption of laser energy, this study attempted to visualize the indentation induced sub-surface shear bands of Zr-based MG by nanosecond pulse laser irradiation in argon. The principle was first verified by laser irradiation of the surface scratch, and then implemented on the visualization of sub-surface shear bands. The experimental results demonstrated that the indentation induced sub-surface shear bands were successfully visualized by nanosecond pulse laser irradiation, and meanwhile, the laser irradiated surface maintained the amorphous characteristic. This study may open a new window for exploring the shear band characteristics of MGs upon external loads.

Fabrication of microstructures on the glassy carbon (GC) surface is crucial for its functional applications. However, due to its intrinsic mechanical, physical, and chemical properties, it is still challenging to fabricate hierarchical micro/nano-structures on the GC surface. In this study, by tuning the interval between adjacent points as well as the irradiation time, the conversion from the point to linear hierarchical micro/nano-structures was successfully achieved on the GC surface by nanosecond pulsed laser irradiation. The detailed conversion process and mechanism were explored and discussed. On this basis, the linear hierarchical micro/nano-structures were fabricated by direct line scanning, and the internal nanostructures were always parallel to the laser scanning direction. By repeated line scanning with relatively low laser fluence, the method of direct line scanning was further improved, and well-defined and uniform hierarchical micro/nano-structures were fabricated.

Ultrasonic vibration cutting (UVC) is a promising technology that can promote the processing of hard-brittle materials in ductile mode. The feature of intermittent cutting in UVC is considered to promote the ductile responses of brittle materials. However, the effect of cyclic loading/impact on microscopic deformation behavior of the workpiece material in UVC is not clearly understood. This study used cyclic nanoindentation to reveal the UVC mechanism in monocrystalline silicon (Si). The surface morphology and subsurface microstructure of the residual indents were characterized and compared with those of the UVC-machined grooves. This work attempted to correlate the tool-workpiece contacts for cyclic nanoindentation and vibration cutting. Cyclic nanoindentation results show that cyclic loading promotes the extent of silicon amorphization and decreases the threshold for transitioning the β–Sn phase to the bc8 and r8 phases. As the number of indentation cycles increases, the subsurface microstructure changes from the amorphous phase to the bc8 and r8 phases. In UVC, both the critical cutting depth for brittle-to-ductile transition and the degree of amorphization in cutting chips increase in comparison to conventional cutting, which matches the trend of cyclic nanoindentation results. The findings inform the chip formation and subsurface deformation mechanisms of brittle materials during UVC.

Precision glass molding is an efficient and promising technique for large-volume micro-optical manufacturing. Even though significant progress in precision glass molding has been achieved on the anti-adhesive coating, technical challenges and barriers still exist towards tailoring the coating layer to ensure durability and long-term processing consistency in numerous molding cycles. This manuscript presents a novel molding technique utilizing micro-patterned Si mold inserts coated with a newly developed nano-graphitic carbon coating as an isolation layer in high-precision glass molding. The coating is prepared by atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition (APCVD), in which the liquid benzene and silicone rubber are used as the carbon source and silicon oxycarbide (SiOC) source, respectively. The nano-morphologies of the nano-graphitic carbon coating with different conditions are characterized and analyzed, illustrating notable differences in surface features with the addition of silicone rubber and various growth durations. In the demonstration, the nano-graphitic carbon-coated Si mold inserts exhibit unique properties, including anti-adhesive and hydrophobic at elevated temperatures. Two kinds of micro-patterned Si mold inserts, a micro-pillar matrix and a micro-lens array, generated by UV lithography and diamond turning, are utilized to demonstrate the feasibility of the anti-adhesive coating in precision glass molding. The obtained results indicate that the micro-optical features on the coated Si mold inserts are successfully transferred to glass substrates with high replication fidelity without notable signs of adhesion or contamination in repetitive molding cycles. This emerging technology makes Si an alternative mold material with low surface adhesion, enhances micro-optical machining efficiency, and replicates high-precision, low-cost micro-optics on large scales that were previously unavailable.

For many years, the machining community has dedicated significant efforts to investigate the microscopic scale level phenomena during the material removal process. On one hand much research has been carried out in relation to workpiece surface integrity after machining and the methods for its study. On the other hand, many studies have been dedicated to replicate machining conditions at microscopic scales using high resolution setups. Although these two topics seem to be little related, there is an opportunity of the machining community to take the advantage of the advanced testing/investigation setups that enable these two strands of research to be performed at very high resolution and repeatability, thus giving new pathways for research in this field. Here we are flagging up to the community the research opportunities offered by micro-mechanical testing that can be performed using in-situ scanning electron microscopes (SEM) or other high-resolution imaging instruments. As such, this review paper discusses the recent research advances in using in-situ micro-mechanical testing for: (i) understanding the phenomena occurring in the workpiece (sub) surfaces after machining operation by performing very high resolution micro-mechanical testing (e.g. compression/bending of micro-pillars/beams) within particular zones of machined superficial layers; (ii) studying the material removal mechanisms at micrometric level using common indenters or dedicated edges to understand how the workpiece materials (e.g. groups/single grains) react to cutting conditions. Finally, we comment on possible future research topics using micro-mechanical testing in-situ in high resolution imaging instruments and how this could help to advance the understanding of machining processes.

The metallic glass ribbons (MGRs) industrially produced by the single roller melt-spun method have many surface defects such as pits and scratches. In this study, it was attempted to repair the surface defects of Zr-based MGRs via nanosecond pulsed laser irradiation. The experimental results showed that the roughness of laser-repaired surfaces was significantly reduced compared to the melt-spun surface, and the surface topographies and morphologies were sensitive to the laser parameters. With optimal laser parameters, the smooth and defect-free surface could be achieved. This work offers a convenient and high-efficiency approach for repairing the surface defects of MGRs.

The shear interference and chip removal interference between different tool edges during non-free cutting are the main reasons for the deformation of micron-submicron grooves. To our best knowledge, the understanding of the non-free cutting of micron-submicron grooves is still not well established. This paper provides new insight into the material removal mechanism and cutting-induced deformation of micron-submicron grooves in non-free cutting. A novel variable shear angle removal model, revealing the difference of material shear at different positions of the tool edge, is established by infinitesimally segmenting the tool edge after analyzing the shear interference and chip removal interference mechanisms. An equation of the local shear angle enables the mathematical derivation of the topography of the shear surface and chip cross-section in the non-free cutting of micron-submicron grooves. The distribution of shear stress in the shear zone is calculated by establishing the relationship between the shear angle and shear stress based on the unequal division shear zone (UDSZ) theory and Johnson-Cook theory. Furthermore, a mechanics model of micron-submicron groove cutting, revealing the deformation mechanism of the micron-submicron grooves, is established using the differential cutting force method. Finite element simulations and high-speed cutting experiments are conducted to analyze the cutting microstate between the tool and the material and the dynamic deformation of the micron-submicron grooves during non-free cutting. The stress trend of the elastic nodes on the tool edge verifies the mechanics model, and the chip morphology verifies the formation of the shear surface and chips. The degree of non-free cutting is higher at the tool edge infinitesimal segments (TEISs) closer to the tool tip, resulting in a smaller shear angle, which makes the extrusion stress suffered by the groove increases nearly twice from top to bottom. The material flow due to dynamic deformation causes the relative cutting line of the rear-side tool edge to shift forward. The deformation of the micron-submicron grooves is related to the stiffness of the structure.

Bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) have attracted broad research interest in industrial and commercial fields due to their outstanding mechanical and physical properties. Achieving controlled manipulation of their surface wettability is expected to further improve their applicability. In this study, the functional MG surfaces with various wetting behaviors (including superhydrophilicity, superhydrophobicity, gradient wettability, coexistence of superhydrophilicity and superhydrophobicity) were fabricated by controlling the surface microstructure and chemical composition, which were achieved by laser processing and low-temperature heat treatment. The laser-patterned MG surface with hierarchical micro/nanostructures showed hydrophilicity, and it turned to hydrophobicity after heat treatment, which could be attributed to the adsorption of organic matter from the ambient air. The fabricated gradient wetting surface achieved directional transport of droplets, and the constructed extreme wetting contrast surface exhibited good ability in controlling the spreading of droplets.

Fabricating micro-structures on optical materials has received great interest in recent years. In this work, micro-grooving experiments were performed on polycrystalline zinc selenide (ZnSe) to investigate the feasibility of surface micro-structuring on polycrystalline soft-brittle material by diamond turning. A photosensitive resin was coated on the workpiece before cutting, and it was found that the coating was effective in suppressing brittle fractures at the edges of the grooves. The effect of tool feed rate in groove depth direction was examined. Results showed that the defect morphology on the groove surface was affected by the tool feed rate. The crystallographic orientation of grains around the groove was characterized by electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), and it was found that the formation of defects was strongly dependent on the angle of groove surface with respect to the cleavage plane of grain. The stress distribution of the micro-grooving process was investigated by the finite element method. Results showed that the location of tensile stresses in the coated workpiece was farther from the edge of the groove compared with that in the uncoated workpiece, verifying the experimental result that brittle fractures were suppressed by the resin coating.