This book presents an in-depth study and elucidation on the mechanisms
of the micro-cutting process, with particular emphasis and a novel
viewpoint on materials characterization and its influences on
ultra-precision machining. Ultra-precision single point diamond turning
is a key technology in the manufacture of mechanical, optical and
opto-electronics components with a surface roughness of a few nanometers
and form accuracy in the sub-micrometric range.
In the context of subtractive manufacturing, ultra-precision diamond
turning is based on the pillars of materials science, machine tools,
modeling and simulation technologies, etc., making the study of such
machining processes intrinsically interdisciplinary. However, in
contrast to the substantial advances that have been achieved in machine
design, laser metrology and control systems, relatively little research
has been conducted on the material behavior and its effects on surface
finish, such as the material anisotropy of crystalline materials. The
feature of the significantly reduced depth of cut on the order of a few
micrometers or less, which is much smaller than the average grain size
of work-piece materials, unavoidably means that conventional metal
cutting theories can only be of limited value in the investigation of
the mechanisms at work in micro-cutting processes in ultra-precision
diamond turning.