Controlled chattering on PMMA and epoxy: Effect of crosslinking and cutting speed on pattern formation

Controlled chattering is a cutting process with forced oscillation on the cutting tool, which creates wavy patterns on a variety of polymer surfaces with periods tunable from nano- to micrometer. It was found that the quality of surface finish after high-speed cutting was significantly improved when linear polymer chains are crosslinked. The pattern size (period) on thin sections is determined by the degree of crosslinking, which is dependent on the material’s hardness and elastic properties. Controlled chattering has also been successfully conducted on epoxy samples and the relationship between cutting speed and pattern structure is established.