Micro milling characteristics of LS-WEDM fabricated helical and corrugated micro end mill

•The low speed wire electrical discharge machining tool is used to prepare solid micro end mills with complex structures.•The machining process of spirals micro milling cutters is under working fluid and the real-time observation exists practical difficulties. So, in this study, the visual predictability of spirals micro milling cutters fabricated by LS-WEDM is firstly realized, which can provide theoretical basis for parameters selection and reduce blindness in processing.•The corrugated micro milling cutter with about 269.8 μm in diameter and 1850.2 μm in length, three spirals with 123.8 μm in diameter and 800 μm in length, six spirals and varied spiral angle micro milling cutters all can be efficiently prepared by LS-WEDM method.•The micro machining characteristic and wear performance of LS-WEDM fabricated micro end mills are evaluated by carrying out micro milling experiments of DD5 single crystal nickel-based superalloy. Micro milling offers a high potential for fabricating three-dimensional micro structure, such as micro grooves, micro channels and micro dimples. However, the fabrication of solid micro end mills with hard materials and complex structures poses many challenges. In this study, a new method based on low speed wire electrical discharge machining (LS-WEDM) is presented to prepare solid helical micro end mills. The machining process of helical micro end mill is kinematically modeled and simulated, which can realize visual predictability and provide theoretical basis for parameters selection. Experimental results indicated that corrugated micro end mill with about 269.8 μm in diameter and 1850.2 μm in length, and three helical blades micro end mill with 123.8 μm in diameter and 800 μm in length, six spirals and varied helical angle micro end mills can be flexibly prepared. Furthermore, the use of these micro end mills in hard material of DD5 single crystal nickel-based superalloy substrates is described to demonstrate their potential. Thus, the technique proposed in this study is significantly contribute to the fabrication of complex solid micro end mills with helical blades.