Micromachining, which is used for various industrial purposes, requires the depth of cut and feed to be expressed in micrometers. Appropriate stock allowance and cutting conditions need to be selected to ensure that excess material is removed in the form of chips. To calculate the allowance, it is essential to take into account the tool nose radius, as this cutting parameter affects the minimum chip thickness. Theoretical and numerical studies on the topic predominate over experimental ones. This article describes a method and a test setup for determining the minimum chip thickness during turning. The workpiece was ground before turning to prevent radial runout and easily identify the transition zone. Contact and non-contact profilometers were used to measure surface profiles. The main aim of this study was to determine the tool-workpiece interaction stages and the cutting conditions under which material was removed as chips. Additionally, it was necessary to analyze how the feed, cutting speed, and edge radius influenced the minimum chip thickness. This parameter was found to be dependent on the depth of cut and feed. Elastic and plastic deformation and ploughing were observed when the feed rate was lower than the cutting edge radius.
Keywords: micromachining; minimum chip thickness; turning.