Leveraging spark assisted chemical engraving (SACE) for high-precision deep cutting of fused silica

Leclair, Jean-Philippe, Villeneuve, Guillaume, Delbari, Seyed Ali, Brousseau, Emmanuel ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2728-3189 and Hof, Lucas A. 2026. Leveraging spark assisted chemical engraving (SACE) for high-precision deep cutting of fused silica. Presented at: 10th Conference on High Performance Cutting, Cluny, France, 17-19 June 2026. Procedia CIRP. , vol.141 Elsevier, pp. 574-579. 10.1016/j.procir.2026.03.044

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Abstract

Glass is a key material in microsystems, optics, and bioanalytical devices due to its excellent chemical stability, optical transparency, and thermal resistance. Many of these applications require high-depth, high-precision microstructures such as channels, cavities, and through-holes. However, machining glass remains a major challenge due to its brittle and chemically inert nature, which limits the applicability of conventional mechanical or chemical processes. Spark Assisted Chemical Engraving (SACE) is a hybrid thermochemical process that enables localized material removal in glass and ceramics. It stands out as a promising process for fabricating complex geometries in hard and brittle materials. However, its efficiency decreases sharply beyond cutting depths of 300 µm due to gas film instability, byproduct accumulation, and limited electrolyte circulation. Achieving deeper cuts while maintaining surface quality and accuracy remains difficult. This work investigates process optimization strategies for achieving deep, high-precision cuts in fused silica, reaching total depths up to 1.59 mm using a multi-pass strategy. This represents a 3- to 5-fold increase in achievable cutting depth compared to standard absolute depth limits reported in literature. Feed rate (f), depth of cut (p), voltage, and tool rotation were varied; surface roughness, cut taper, and dimensional accuracy were measured. Results show that high f and low p (at constant f × p) enable stable deep cutting with minimal taper and excellent surface quality, particularly at 10,000 rpm under continuous electrolyte flow. Applied potentials in the 32 V to 37 V range provided a good balance between material removal rate and surface quality for 300 µm fluted tools. These findings extend the applicability of SACE to deep, millimeter-scale machining of fused silica components with controlled geometry and sub-micrometer surface finish.

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item - published (Paper)
Date Type:	Published Online
Status:	Published
Schools:	Schools > Engineering
Additional Information:	License information from Publisher: LICENSE 1: URL: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/, Start Date: 2026-04-22
Publisher:	Elsevier
ISSN:	22128271
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	18 June 2026
Last Modified:	18 Jun 2026 11:00
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/187633

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