Machinability analysis of difficult-to-cut material during ultrasonic vibration-assisted ball end milling

Vibration-assisted machining has been proven as an excellent material-removal process with its multiple advantages over ordinary machining methods. However, the process is usually applied for the machining of easy-to-cut materials and conventional cutting tools vibrating, at or below the ultrasonic frequency. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of ultrasonic vibration of the ball end mill with the objective to enhance the machinability of difficult-to-cut material. An analytical model was established to calculate the cutting forces generated during the process. A WC-Co-based ball-nose end mill with a TiAlSiCrN coating was used to perform the machining tests on tool steel (AISI-H13). Machinability was evaluated in terms of cutting forces, chip morphology, rate of wear, and surface integrity. During the machining experiments, cutting forces under the effect of tool vibration were found to be reduced with the improvement in machined surface quality. The obtained results indicate the overall enhancement in the machinability of the work material and hence the technique can be applied to substitute the conventional milling.

Automated summary

This study evaluated the effect of ultrasonic vibration on improving the machinability of difficult-to-cut materials by establishing an analytical model to calculate cutting forces. The experiments showed that cutting forces were reduced and machined surface quality improved under the effect of tool vibration, indicating an overall enhancement in the machinability of the work material.