Size effects of micro drilling in steel

The main objective of this research work is to investigate size effects by downscaling the twist drilling process into the micro range (diameter: d = 50 μm to 1 mm). Therefore, experimental micro drilling tests in steel AISI 1045 (normalized and full-annealed) are performed with different cutting conditions (drill diameter, feed, cutting speed) and compared with data obtained from conventional drilling. Various size effects and its significant influence on the micro cutting process are characterized with help of the experimental results. Additionally, the formula of Victor–Kienzle is adjusted to model the feed force in micro drilling operations.