Diamond wire is a relatively new abrasive tool technology used in wire sawing of hard and brittle materials i.e. Si, SiC, sapphire or ceramics in general. Process characteristics such as the undeformed chip thickness, abrasive wear and material removal regime heavily depend on the wire properties. However, manufacturers only provide data on the abrasive grain size range, relative grain density and core wire diameter. A systematic investigation of the abrasive and wire properties is essential to develop a comparative understanding of the wire behavior as well as its influence on process outputs. Development of such a method requires the use of microscopy imaging tools and image processing algorithms. A proprietary wire analysis software is developed as a reference characterization method for the investigation of diamond wires in terms of abrasive grain geometry, distribution and density, grain protrusion and grain volume. The software applies statistical and geometrical analysis to characterize and compare diamond wires or investigate the wear progression at individual grain level. Additionally, the results can be used to model the stochastic nature of the wire, reproduce it; and to simulate the grain-workpiece interaction.
Science Journal 