Mechanically Enabled Two-Axis Ultrasonic-Assisted System for Ultra-Precision Machining

• Main Authors: Nan Yu, Jinghang Liu, Hélène Mainaud Durand, Fengzhou Fang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-05-01
• Series: Micromachines
• Subjects: optical moulds; steel cutting; FEA; control system
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-666X/11/5/522

With the use of ultrasonic-assisted diamond cutting, an optical surface finish can be achieved on hardened steel or even brittle materials such as glass and infrared materials. The proposed ultrasonic vibration cutting system includes an ultrasonic generator, horn, transducer, cutting tool and the fixture. This study is focused on the design of the ultrasonic vibration cutting system with a high vibration frequency and an optimized amplitude for hard and brittle materials, particularly for moulded steel. A two-dimensional vibration design is developed by means of the finite element analysis (FEA) model. A prototype of the system is manufactured for the test bench. An elliptical trajectory is created from this vibration system with amplitudes of micrometers in two directions. The optimization strategy is presented for the application development.