High-speed grooving method

A high-speed grooving method for cutting and machining fine grooves in the surface of a workpiece by moving a cutting tool relative to the workpiece, said method comprising:

• first machining a dummy groove in the surface of the workpiece by moving the cutting tool relative to the workpiece in a first machining direction of the workpiece, then orienting the cutting tool 180 degrees as compared to the first machining, and subsequently second machining the dummy groove by moving the cutting tool in a second direction opposite to the first direction;
• measuring a displacement of a cutting edge of the cutting tool, caused by the first and second machining of the dummy groove;
• machining a groove with the cutting tool in the surface of the workpiece in a forward stroke by moving the cutting tool relative to the workpiece in the first direction;
• orienting the cutting tool 180 degrees from an orientation of the cutting tool during the forward-stroke machining, thereby setting a second orientation of the cutting edge of the cutting tool to a direction opposite to a first orientation of the cutting edge in the forward stroke so that the workpiece can be machined during a return stroke of the cutting tool;
• correcting a relative position between the workpiece and the cutting tool so as to eliminate the displacement;
• and
• machining the groove, which has been machined in the forward stroke, with the cutting tool by moving the cutting tool relative to the workpiece in the direction opposite to the first direction in a return stroke, wherein the forward-stroke machining, the cutting tool orienting, the correcting and the return-stroke machining are repeated to perform a machining process, including a rough machining step and a finish machining step, for machining a single groove.