An analytical model of rotary ultrasonic milling

Rotary ultrasonic machining is currently being used as a manufacturing method for advanced ceramic materials, but its complexity has hindered its acceptance in industry. For this technology to gain wider acceptance, it must first be scientifically better understood. The majority of published rotary ultrasonic machining (RUM) papers studied the effect of RUM process parameters on machining performance and removal mechanisms for drilling of circular holes. In industries such as aerospace, the production of advanced turbine components requires machining of complex 3D features using milling strategies. The objective of this paper will be to present a new physical model based on rotary ultrasonic milling which will help provide a better scientific understanding of the process. This will be accomplished by first modeling the macro kinematics between the tool and material followed by the modeling of micro kinematics between the individual diamond grains and the material. In addition, a force model for predicting machining process forces will also be introduced and validated based on a set of experiments. The physical models will help determine the relationships between input parameters, cutting parameters, and process output parameters for rotary ultrasonic milling.