Evaluation of Ball End Micromilling for Ti6Al4V ELI Microneedles Using a Nanoadditive Under MQL Condition

The use of nanoadditives in lubricants has gained much attention to the research community due to the enhancement of tribological properties and cooling capabilities. This paper studies the advantages of using a MQL (Minimum Quantity of Lubrication) system and nanoadditive in the manufacture of microneedle arrays in Ti6Al4V ELI alloy. Tungsten carbide ball nose tools with a cutting diameter of 200 µm were used in experimental tests. Surface and dimensional characterization was performed to evaluate the impact of a nanoadditive to a vegetable-based oil. Additionally, cutting forces and cutting edge radius (CER) were measured while needles were machined. Experimental tests confirmed that micro end milling with nanoadditives provide slightly better dimensional features and low cutting forces compared to oil. The performance of nanoadditives resulted in a reduction of surface roughness (~ 0.3 μm). Qualitative study of microneedles illustrated burr formation on needle surface manufactured without a nanoadditive solution. Results reveal an increment of CER using low feed rate values (2.0 µm/flute) while a reduction of CER was observed with feed rates up to 2.5 µm/flute. Our results indicated that the addition of nanoadditives to vegetable oil promotes a better product surface topography and cutting tool performance.