Fixed Abrasive Diamond Wire Saw Slicing of Single Crystal SiC Wafers and Wood

Abstract

This study investigates the effects of process parameters on fixed abrasive diamond wire saw machining. The effects of wire speed, rock frequency, and downfeed rate on cutting forces and surface roughness are studied during diamond wire saw slicing of single crystal SiC wafers. This study also investigates the machining of wood with oscillatory and looped style wire saws. The effects of feed rate, wire speed, coolant, and grain orientation on the cutting forces and surface roughness are studied.

The design of the cutting experiments using three different wire saws are presented. The first experiment uses a Diamond Wire Technology Millennium spool-to-spool rocking motion diamond wire saw to machine single crystal SiC wafers. The next experiments use a Murg looped wire saw and a Model 7243 oscillatory wire saw from Well Diamond Wire Saws to machine pine and oak.

A data acquisition system was constructed to record cutting forces, and signal-processing techniques were developed for removing noise. The diamond wire performed well, and afterwards the machined surfaces of all materials were measured to determine their surface roughness. A scanning electron microscope was used to examine the SiC wafers. Finally, the results and the direction of future work in this area are discussed.