Cutting performance assessment on the modified single crystal diamond tool by focused ion beam

In this work, the ion implantation effect of focused ion beam (FIB) is employed to modify the single crystal diamond tools, and the cutting performances of the irradiated and unirradiated tools are further evaluated. Firstly, the characteristics of the irradiated rake face are measured to determine the impact of the implanted ions. The results show that the surface energy of the rake face irradiated by FIB decreases significantly. Secondly, cutting experiments are carried out on the Al6061 alloy substrates. The results demonstrate that the ion implantation improves the self-cleaning of rake face and the wear resistance of cutting edge, which is conducive to reduce the cutting force and cutting temperature, resulting in an improvement of the manchined surface quality. All the experimental observations confirm that the FIB implantation process is an effective method to improve the cutting performance of single crystal diamond tool.