SBIR Phase I: Ultrahigh Speed Micromachining Spindle

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目旨在开发一种超高速、精密的微铣削主轴。工业和军事产品要求小型化、设计灵活性、降低能耗和高精度的趋势继续加速，特别是在医疗、生物技术、电信和能源领域。这些行业需要高精度的三维部件，其尺寸和几何特征范围从几十微米到几毫米。由于用于生产此类产品的刀具很小，因此需要较高的切削速度来提高加工效率。该项目旨在开发一种新的超高速微铣削主轴，以超过每分钟500,000转的速度进行加工。主轴设计依赖于独特的无油箔轴承。所提出的微铣削主轴的主要优点包括通过实施超高速加工获得更高的生产率和精度，这将减少切削力和刀具振动。该项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力包括使依靠微制造技术的广泛工业部门所需的微部件的成本效益制造成为可能。由于在建议的切削速度下进行微加工的基本科学原理尚不清楚，因此建议的主轴的可用性将允许进行基础研究，以揭示材料在超高切削速度下的响应。这些基本信息可能会导致新的科学发现，并进一步扩展微加工工艺。所产生的数据和信息无疑将在未来用于培养研究生。该项目的广泛影响包括扩大微制造研究，并为下一代科学研究人员和技术开发人员提供研究机会，在微定位设备、微模具制造、微传感和监测系统以及微工厂集成和优化等更广泛的领域从事微加工和微制造相关的工作。微铣削主轴的商业化将有助于发展新的商业和工业，以及高附加值的就业机会。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project aims to develop an ultrahigh speed, precision, micro-milling spindle. The trends in industrial and military products that demand miniaturization, design flexibility, reduced energy consumption and high accuracy continue to accelerate -- especially in the medical, biotechnology, telecommunications and energy fields. These industry segments require high-precision, three-dimensional components with sizes and geometric features ranging from tens of micrometers to a few millimeters. Because the cutting tools used for generation of such products are small, high cutting speeds are needed to increase the machining efficiencies. This project is aimed at developing a new, ultrahigh speed micro-milling spindle for machining at speeds in excess of 500,000 revolutions per minute. The spindle design relies on unique oil-free foil bearings. The principal advantages of the proposed micro-milling spindle include higher production rates and precision obtained through the implementation of the ultrahigh speed machining that will decrease the cutting forces and tool vibrations. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project includes enabling cost-effective manufacture of micro-components needed across a broad range of industrial sectors relying on micro-fabrication technology. Since the underlying scientific principles of micro-machining at the proposed cutting speeds are not known, the availability of the proposed spindle will allow for basic studies to uncover the response of materials under ultrahigh cutting speeds. Such basic information could lead to new scientific discoveries and further extend the micromachining processes. The data and information generated will undoubtedly be used in the future for training of graduate students. The broad impact of this project includes expansion of micro-manufacturing research, and research opportunities for next-generation scientific researchers and technology developers to pursue micro-machining and micro-manufacturing related efforts in the broader fields of micro-positioning devices, micro-die-and-mold manufacturing, micro-sensing and monitoring systems, and micro-factory integrations and optimization. Commercialization of the micro-milling spindle will be instrumental in the development of new businesses and industries, and high value added jobs.