Experimental and simulation study of ultrasonic elliptical vibration cutting SiCp/Al composites: chip formation and surface integrity study

SiCp/Al composites are considered as a typical difficult-to-machining material due to the presence of reinforcing particles in the matrix. As the aerospace and military industries demand high dimensional accuracy, high efficiency and low damage for SiCp/Al composites, traditional cutting (TC) methods are no longer sufficient. Ultrasonic elliptical vibration cutting (UEVC) is a cutting technique suitable for difficult-to-machining materials. Its intermittent cutting characteristics can reduce the cutting force, and when the tool cuts the workpiece at ultrasonic frequency, similar to a dynamic impact behavior of the tool on the workpiece with ultrasonic frequency, improve the machinability of the material. In this paper, a multiphase based simulation model is developed that integrates the relationship between three phases and the random distribution of particles. The cutting process of SiCp/Al composites under UEVC and TC is simulated and the removal mechanism of SiCp/Al composites under UEVC is analyzed. The effects of dynamic impact on the UEVC of composites were discussed in terms of chip formation, cutting force and surface morphology. Finally, the correctness of the simulation results was verified by the relevant cutting experiments. The results showed that the UEVC produced more continuous serrations, easier fracture of SiC particles and improved machining performance of SiCp/Al composites compared with the TC. The cutting forces were reduced by 26% and 23%, and the surface roughness was reduced by 19% and 28% at two cutting depths of 25 mm and 50 mm, respectively.(c) 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).