Advanced Materials Research Vols.

966-967 (2014) pp 142-151 Submitted: 2014-04-25

© (2014) Trans Tech Publications, Switzerland Accepted: 2014-04-25
doi:10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMR.966-967.142 Online: 2014-06-30

Micro dimple milling for structured surface

Takashi Matsumura*1, Satoru Takahashi1, Natsumi Nagase1 and Yuji Musha1
1
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tokyo Denki University, Japan, *corresponding author

Keywords: milling, micro dimple, micro asperity, functional surface, wettability, friction coefficient

Abstract. A micro dimple machining is presented to control the surface functions with the
micro-scale structures on the solid surfaces. The micro dimples are machined in milling with the
inclined ball end mill. When an inclined two flutes end mill removes the material in a depth of cut less
than the tool radius, the air cutting time during neither edges contact with the workpiece appears in a
rotation of cutter. When the tool is fed at a high feed rate so that the removal areas of an edge and
another edge do not overlap each other, the concave dimples are machined. A mechanistic model is
presented to control the shape and the size of the dimples to be machined. The micro dimples were
machined to verify the mechanistic model in milling. The micro asperities were also formed in
molding using the dimpled surface. As applications of the functional surfaces, wettability and friction
coefficient were measured on the surfaces with the dimples and the asperities. The surface functions
change with the alignments of the dimples and the asperities.

Introduction
The demand of functional surfaces, which control the physical and/or the chemical properties at
interface between substances, has recently increased in many industries. Generally many surface
functions are controlled by the material properties of thin layers coated on surfaces. The surface
functions can also be controlled by the surface structures manufactured artificially for industrial uses.
Recent many applications of the functional surfaces were reviewed by Bruzzone et al. [1]. As an
application of the functional surfaces, the tribological properties have been associated with the
surface topography. Wakuda et al. reduced friction coefficient by micro dimples, which were
machined by an abrasive jet or an excimer laser beam [2]. The micro dimples have also been used to
maintain a lubricant at the interface. Basnyat et al. and Voevodin et al. improved tribological
properties by micro reservoirs of solid lubricants [3, 4].
The surface structures have been manufactured in various processes. In etching, the machining
area is controlled by printing masks in photolithography and subsurface in the exposed area is
removed by the chemical reaction. Krupenkin et al. and Sommers et al. fabricated nano-scale
structures on surfaces by plasma etching [5, 6]. Kim et al. applied the wet chemical etching to
fabrication of nano clusters on silicon wafers [7]. Zhu et al. machined surface structures in
electro-chemical machining using the mask, which consisted of a conductive metal layer and an
insulation layer [8]. Basnyat et al. machined micro dimples by reactive ion etching in mixed Ar/CF4
plasma [3]. Laser beams have also been applied to machining of the micro dimples. Wan et al.
machined the micro dimples in laser coating-texturing [9]. Luo et al. presented a CO2 laser beam
modulation with a rotating polygon to machine the micro dimples on the roll surfaces [10]. Voevodin

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 Advanced Materials Research Vols. 966-967 143

and Zabinski machined the micro dimples on the surface of hard TiCN coatings in a focused UV laser
beam [4].
High feed rate

Inclination angle
Non-cutting

Dimple

Fig. 1: Micro dimple milling with inclined ball end mill

Although etching and energy beam processes have been applied to fabrication of the surface
structures, some issues have been left on the environmental impact, flexibility, the cost and the
production rate. As an alternative process, micro mechanical machining is expected for machining the
surface structures at high production rates and low costs. Wang et al. formed the micro dimples
mechanically in pellet-pressing and improved tribological properties [11]. Kogusu et al. machined the
micro dimples in milling [12]. However, they did not discuss the change in the surface functions with
the surface topology. Matsumura et al. applied the surfaces with the micro dimples to control the
optical properties on the plates, where the micro dimples were machined in milling with a ball end
mill [13]. They also machined the micro dimples on the cylinder surfaces for controlling the surface
functions [14].
The paper studies the micro dimple milling with an inclined ball end mill and associates the
surface structures with functionality on the surfaces. First, a mechanistic model is described to control
the removal shape of the micro dimples. The shape and the alignment of the micro dimples were
simulated for the cutting parameters. Then, the micro dimples were machined on aluminum plates to
verify the simulation. The micro asperities were also formed on plastic plates using the dimpled
surfaces. In order to verify change in the surface functions, the water droplet tests were conducted on
a flat surface and a dimpled surface with measuring the dynamic contact angle. Then, friction
coefficients were measured with changing the alignment of the asperities on the plastic plate molded.

Micro dimple milling

The paper discusses the micro dimple machining with a 2 flutes ball end mill. When the cutter axis
is inclined and the depth of cut is less than the radius of the end mill, as shown in Fig. 1, the
non-cutting time, during which neither of two cutting edges removes the workpiece, appears in a
rotation of the cutter. If the feed rate is high enough that the removal areas of an edge and another
edge do not overlap each other, the concave dimples are machined periodically in each rotation of
the cutter.
144 Tribology in Manufacturing Processes & Joining by Plastic Deformation

Fig. 2: Mechanistic model in micro dimple machining

The advantage in the process is high machining rates compared to the other fabrication process.
For instance, when a 2 flutes end mill rotates at a spindle speed of 20000 rpm, 40000 dimples are
machined in a minute. Furthermore, the micro dimples are machined on a large surface in a short time
because the feed rate is higher than those of the conventional milling operations. Because the micro
dimple milling is performed in depths of cut much less than the tool radius, the air cutting time is
longer than the actual cutting during a rotation of the cutter. Therefore, the tool wear is suppressed by
cooling in the air cutting. The milling manner also machines the dimples on the sculptured surfaces
with controlling the depth of dimples by NC. In terms of the manufacturing process, the dimple
milling is conducted as a surface fabrication after machining the product shape without material
handling on a machine tool. Therefore, machining error induced by the material handling is excluded
and the manufacturing time reduces with the non-production time.

Mechanistic model in micro dimple milling

The shape and the alignment of the micro dimples are simulated for milling with the inclined ball end
mill. The edge on the ball end mill is defined in the coordinate system U-V-W, as shown in Fig. 2(a),
where ρ is the nose radius of the tool and the origin in the coordinate system is located at the center of
the nose radius. A point P on an edge is given by angles ε and λ0. ε is the circumferential angle from
the bottom of the tool and the points on the ball nose edge are given in the range of [0, 90] degrees. λ0
is the delay angle at the end of the nose (ε = 90 degrees) with respect to the bottom edge. The delay
angle of P on the i-th edge, γ, is given by:

2π
γ = (i − 1) + λ0 ⋅ (1 − cos ε ) (1)
n

When the tool rotates at an angular velocity ωt, the coordinates (u, v, w) at P are given at time t:

u = ρ sin ε cos(ωt t + γ )

v = ρ sin ε sin(ωt t + γ )  (2)
w = − ρ cos ε 

 Advanced Materials Research Vols. 966-967 145

Fig. 2(b) shows machining of the micro dimples with a ball end mill inclined at an angle ζ toward
X direction in a feed direction of cutter ϕ with respect to X-axis. The dimples are machined in a depth
d at a feed rate f. The coordinates (x, y, z) at P is given at time t:
ρ−d 
x = ρ sin ε cos(ωt t + γ ) cos ζ + ( − ρ cos ε ) sin ζ + ft cos ϕ 
cos ζ

y = ρ sin ε sin(ωt t + γ ) + ft sin ϕ  (3)
ρ −d 
z = − ρ sin ε cos(ωt t + γ ) sin ζ + ( − ρ cos ε ) cos ζ 
cos ζ 
The removal shape is determined to satisfy z < 0 with changing t and ε.
Fig. 3 shows simulations of the dimples machined by a ball end mill inclined at 45 degrees in the
+X direction, where the Fig. views from +Z axis to X-Y plane.
The feed direction changes with an increment of 45 degrees, where ϕ in Fig. 2(b) is taken in the
counterclockwise sense in this Fig.. The ball nose radius ρ is 0.2 mm and the delay angle λ0 is 20
degrees. The feed rate, the depth of cut and the spindle speed are 3300 mm/min, 5 µm and 12000 rpm,
respectively. Because the dimples are machined by the rotation of the cutting edge and the feed of the
end mill, the ellipsoidal dimples are shaped. The dimple shape and the apse line of the ellipse change
with the feed direction. The edges engage the workpiece at the left side and exit at the right side of the
dimple. Therefore, the width of the dimple becomes large when the end mill is fed in the negative Y
direction.
146 Tribology in Manufacturing Processes & Joining by Plastic Deformation

Cutting test

The cutting tests were conducted on a machining center to verify the micro dimple machining with
the mechanistic model presented in the previous chapter. The spindle was inclined by a clamping
device mounted on the head stock of the machine tool.

The tests started after the idle running of the spindle for an hour to reduce the influence of thermal
displacement on the machining accuracy. Fig. 4(a) shows 0.4 mm diameter ball end mill used in the
tests, which is the TiAlN coated tool with tungsten carbide substrate. The cutter runout was
eliminated by adjusting the tool clamping conditions such as the tool orientation and the position in
the collet.
 Advanced Materials Research Vols. 966-967 147

The adjustment was performed with measuring the cutting force with the piezoelectric
dynamometer, as shown in Fig. 4(b). Fig. 5 shows an example of Z component of the cutting force
measured when the edges contact the workpiece surface. Because the unbalance cutting force is
caused by the cutter runout, the tool is clamped so that the same cutting forces are loaded on two
cutting edges.
Fig. 6 shows the micro dimples machined on aluminum plates by the ball end mills inclined at 45
degrees. Fig. 6(a) shows the dimples when the tool is fed at a feed rate of 3300 mm/min in the
direction of X axis (ϕ = 0 in Fig. 3). The depth of cut and the spindle speed are 6.7 µm and 12000 rpm,
respectively. Fig. 6(b) shows the dimples when the tool is fed at a feed rate of 2900 mm/min in the
direction of -Y axis (ϕ = -90 in Fig. 3). The depth of cut and the spindle speed are 5 µm and 12000
rpm, respectively. The simulation results are overlapped on the pictures in both results. Fig. 7 shows
the profiles of the dimples. The mechanistic model is verified in agreement of the simulation with the
shape of the machined dimples.

Wettability on dimpled surface

Wettability was measured by the dynamic contact angles of the liquid droplets onto the surface with
the micro dimples, as shown in Fig. 8.
148 Tribology in Manufacturing Processes & Joining by Plastic Deformation

Fig. 9 compares the changes in the contact angles on a flat surface and a dimpled surface when the
water volume increases from 0.5 to 1.5 µl at a rate of 0.075 µl/s. The water droplet on the flat surface
expands continuously; and thus nearly constant contact angle continues. Meanwhile, the contact
angle on the dimpled surface increases when the water reaches the edge of the dimples at A in

Fig. 9; and the angle becomes larger than 90 degrees, which is regarded as a hydrophobic surface.
Then, the contact angle decreases abruptly when the water is supplied over the critical volume at B.
The discrete change in the contact angle is induced by the pinning effect at the edge of the dimples.
The structured surface with the micro dimples changes the dynamic contact angles.

Friction on surface with asperities

The micro asperities were formed on the acryl resin plates in molding using the dimpled surfaces of
the aluminum plate. The alignment of the asperities was controlled with the pitch of the dimples on
the master plate. Fig. 10 shows examples of the surfaces with the asperities, where the vertical pitches
is 325 µm. The horizontal pitch is controlled by the pick feed in the micro dimple milling when the
master plate is machined. The horizontal pitches in Fig.s 10(a) and 10(b) are 400 and 800 µm,
respectively.
 Advanced Materials Research Vols. 966-967 149

The friction tests were conducted to measure the normal and the friction forces with a piezoelectric
dynamometer mounted on a linear table driven by a stepping motor. The 3 mm square specimen with
the asperities was clamped on the piezoelectric dynamometer. The aluminum flat plate was clamped
with a preload onto the specimen, which is the normal force. In the friction test, the specimen was
moved with the linear stage to slide on the aluminum plate. Fig. 11 shows an example of the measured
forces and the friction coefficient on the specimen, where the horizontal pitch is 800 µm.

Fig. 12 shows the change in friction coefficient with the horizontal pitch. Friction coefficient
decreases when the horizontal pitch increases less than 0.6 µm; and increases from 0.8 µm.
150 Tribology in Manufacturing Processes & Joining by Plastic Deformation

According to the adhesion friction model, the friction force F consists of the shearing and the
ploughing forces as follow:

F = Asτ + Ap p (4)

where As and Ap are the actual contact areas and the cross sections of the asperities viewed from the
sliding direction, respectively. τ and p are shear stress on the conjunction of the asperities and the
specific ploughing force. When the horizontal pitch is small, the actual contact areas As become large.
Because the hemispherical asperities deform a little and the cross sections for ploughing Ap are small.
Therefore, the first term in Eq. (4) as the adhesion effect increases with the actual contact areas. Then,
friction coefficient increases with decreasing the pitches. Meanwhile, when the horizontal pitch is
large, the actual contact areas become small. The cross sections for ploughing, in turn, increase with
deformations of the asperities because the stresses on the asperities become high. Then, the friction
coefficient increases with the second terms in Eq. (4). Depending on the shearing and the ploughing
effect in the adhesion model, friction coefficient decreases with increasing the horizontal pitch under
a certain horizontal pitch and then increases with the horizontal pitch. The result in Fig. 12 follows the
adhesion friction model and it is proved that the alignment of the asperities on the solid surface
controls friction coefficient.

Conclusion

Micro dimple milling was studied to control the surface functions with the surface topography. The
micro dimples are machined in milling with the inclined ball end mills at high feed rates. When the
tool is inclined and the depth of cut is less than the radius of the tool, the non-cutting time appears in
a rotation of the cutter. When the feed rate of the tool is high enough that the removal areas of an edge
and another edge do not overlap each other, the concave dimples are machined periodically
corresponding to the cutting parameters and the tool geometry. The micro dimples are machined at
high machining rates in the large surface areas.
A mechanistic model was presented to control the shape and the alignment of the micro dimples.
Then, the change in the dimple shape was simulated with the feed direction with respect to the cutter
axis inclination. The cutting experiements were conducted to verify the micro dimple machining with
the presented model for control the dimple shape.
As applications of the micro dimple machining, the change in wettability and friction coefficient
were measured. The water droplet expands continuously on the flat surface with increasing the
volume of water. Meanwhile, the contact angle on the dimpled surface changes discretely due to the
pinning effect of the edge of the dimples.
The micro asperities were formed on the acryl resin plates in molding using the dimpled surfaces
of the aluminum plate; and then the friction tests were conducted with changing the pitch of the
asperities. Friction coefficient decreases with increasing the pitch of the asperities.
The results in the water droplet and the friction tests prove that the dimples and asperities
machined by the micro milling control the surface functions on which the liquid and the solid contact.
 Advanced Materials Research Vols. 966-967 151

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Tribology in Manufacturing Processes & Joining by Plastic Deformation
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Micro Dimple Milling for Structured Surface

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