UNIT-II UNCONVENTIONAL MACHINING PROCESS

LECTURE NOTES
ON

UNCONVENTIONAL
MACHINING PROCESS

Prepared
By

RAM BABU DARA

Senior Assistant Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering

Aditya Nagar, ADB Road, Surampalem, East Godavari Dist, Andhra Pradesh-533437

1
UNIT-II UNCONVENTIONAL MACHINING PROCESS

Syllabus:

ULTRASONIC MACHINING – Elements of the process, mechanics of material removal,

effect of process parameters, tool feed mechanisms, economic considerations, recent
developments, applications and limitations.

What is the meaning of Ultrasonic?

Figure 2.1: Ultrasonic frequency range

ULTRASONIC MACHINING
Ultrasonic machining (USM) is the removal of hard and brittle materials using an axially
oscillating tool at ultrasonic (US) frequency (18–20 kHz). During that oscillation, the
abrasive slurry of B4C or SiC is continuously fed into the machining zone, between a soft tool
(brass or steel) and the workpiece. The abrasive particles are, therefore, hammered into the
workpiece surface and cause chipping of fine particles from it. The oscillating tool, at
amplitude ranging from 10 to 40 μm, imposes a static pressure on the abrasive grains and
feeds down as the material is removed to form the required tool shape (Figure 2.2).
The machining system, shown in Figure 2.2, is composed mainly from the magnetostricter,
concentrator, tool, and slurry feeding arrangement. The magnetostricter is energized at the
US frequency and produces small amplitude of vibration that is amplified using the
constrictor (mechanical amplifier) that holds the tool. The abrasive slurry is pumped between
the oscillating tool and the brittle workpiece.
Magnetostricter: The magnetostricter, shown in Figure 2.2, has a high-frequency winding
on a magnetostricter core and a special polarizing winding around an armature. The

2
UNIT-II UNCONVENTIONAL MACHINING PROCESS

magnetostriction effect was first discovered by Joule in Manchester in 1874. Accordingly, a

magnetic field undergoing US frequencies causes corresponding changes in a ferromagnetic
object placed within its region of influence. This effect is used to oscillate the USM tool,
mounted at the end of a magnetostricter, at US frequencies of 18–20 kHz.
Mechanical amplifier: The elongation obtained at the resonance frequency is too small for
practical machining applications. The vibration amplitude is, therefore, increased by fitting an
amplifier (acoustic horn) into the output end of the magnetostricter. Larger amplitudes of
typically 40–50 μm are suitable for practical USM applications. Depending on the amplitude
required, the amplification process can be achieved by one or more acoustic horns. To have
the maximum amplitude of vibration (resonance) the length of the concentrator is made
multiples of one-half the wavelengths of sound in the concentrator (horn) material. The
choice of the shape of the acoustic horn controls the final amplitude of vibration. Five
acoustic horns, which include cylindrical, stepped, exponential, hyperbolic cosine, and
conical, are commonly used in USM.
Aluminum bronze and marine bronze are cheap with high fatigue strength of, respectively,
185 and 150 MN/m2, which makes them suitable for acoustic horns. The main drawbacks of
the magnetostrictive transducer are the high losses encountered, low efficiency (55%) and
consequent heat up and need for cooling. Higher efficiencies (90%–95%) are possible by
using piezoelectric transformers to modern USM machines.

Figure 2.2: Main elements of USM system

3
UNIT-II UNCONVENTIONAL MACHINING PROCESS

Tools: Tool tips must have high wear resistance and high fatigue strength. For machining
glass and tungsten carbide, copper and chromium silver steel tools are recommended. Silver
and chromium nickel steel are used for machining sintered carbides. During USM, tools are
fed toward, and held against, the workpiece by means of a static pressure that has to
overcome the cutting resistance at the interface of the tool and workpiece.
Abrasive slurry: The abrasive slurry is usually composed of 50% (by volume) fine abrasive
grains (100–800 grit) of boron carbide (B4C), aluminum oxide (Al2O3), or silicon carbide
(SiC) in 50% water. The abrasive slurry is circulated between the oscillating tool and
workpiece through a nozzle close to the tool–workpiece interface at an approximate rate of 25
L/min.
Material removal process: Under the effect of the static feed force and the US vibration, the
abrasive particles are hammered into the workpiece surface causing mechanical chipping of
minute particles. Figure 2.3 shows the complete material removal mechanism of USM, which
involves three distinct actions:
 Mechanical abrasion by localized direct hammering of the abrasive grains stuck
between the vibrating tool and adjacent work surface
 The microchipping by free impacts of particles that fly across the machining gap and
strike the workpiece at random locations
 The work surface erosion by cavitation in the slurry stream

Figure 2.3: Material removal mechanism in USM.

4
UNIT-II UNCONVENTIONAL MACHINING PROCESS

Factors Affecting Material Removal Rate

Figure 2.4 summarizes the important parameters that affect the performance of USM, which
are mainly related to the tool, workpiece material, the abrasives, machining conditions, and
the machine tool.

Figure 2.4: Factors affecting USM performance

Tool oscillation: The amplitude of tool oscillation has the greatest effect of all the process
variables. The amplitude of oscillation varies within the limits of 0.04–0.08 mm. The material
removal rate increases with rise in the amplitude of tool vibration (Figure 2.5). The vibration
amplitude determines the velocity of the abrasive particles at the interface between the tool
and workpiece. Under such circumstances, the kinetic energy rises at larger amplitudes,
which enhances the mechanical chipping action and consequently increases the removal rate.
Greater vibration amplitudes may lead to the occurrence of splashing, which causes a
reduction of the number of active abrasive grains and results in the decrease of the metal
removal rate. The increase of feed force induces greater chipping forces by each grain, which
raises the overall removal rate (Figures 2.5 and 2.6).

5
UNIT-II UNCONVENTIONAL MACHINING PROCESS

Figure 2.5: Variation of removal rate with feed force and vibration amplitude

Figure 2.6: Variation of removal rate with feed force

Regarding the effect of vibration frequency on the removal rate, for given amplitude, the
increase in vibration frequency reduces the removal rate (Figure 2.7). This trend may be
related to the small chipping time allowed for each grain such that lower chipping action
prevails causing a decrease in removal rate. The same figure shows that, for a given
frequency, the increase of removal rate at higher amplitudes.

6
UNIT-II UNCONVENTIONAL MACHINING PROCESS

Figure 2.7: Variation of removal rate with vibration amplitude and frequency.
Abrasive grains: The removal rate rises at greater abrasive grain sizes until that size reaches
the vibration amplitude, at which stage the material removal rate decreases (Figure 2.8).
When the grain size is larger compared to the vibration amplitude, there is a difficulty in
abrasive renewal in the machining gap. Due to its higher hardness, B4C achieves higher
removal rates than silicon carbide (SiC) when machining a soda glass workpiece. The rate of
material removal obtained with SiC is about 15% lower when machining glass, 33% in the
case of tool steel, and about 35% in the case of sintered carbide. Figure 2.9 shows the
increase of removal rate with particle velocity.

FIGURE 2.8: Variation of removal rate with mean grain size.

7
UNIT-II UNCONVENTIONAL MACHINING PROCESS

Figure 2.9: Variation of removal rate with particle velocity.

Water is commonly used as the abrasive-carrying liquid for the abrasive slurry, although
benzene, glycerol, and oils are alternatives. The increase of slurry viscosity reduces the
removal rate (Figure 2.10). The improved flow of slurry results in an enhanced machining
rate. In practice, a volumetric concentration of about 30%–35% of abrasives is recommended.
The increase of abrasive concentration up to 40% enhances the machining rate. More cutting
edges become available in the machining zone, which raises the chipping rate and
consequently the overall removal rate (Figure 2.11).

Figure 2.10: Variation of removal rate with slurry viscosity.

8
UNIT-II UNCONVENTIONAL MACHINING PROCESS

Figure 2.11 Variation of removal rate with abrasive concentration and time.
Workpiece impact hardness: The machining rate is affected by the ratio of tool to workpiece
hardness (Figure 2.12). In this regard, the higher the ratio, the lower will be the material
removal rate. For this reason, soft and tough materials are recommended for USM tools.

Figure 2.12 Variation of removal rate with the ratio of tool to workpiece hardness.

Advantage of ultrasonic Machining are:

• Ultrasonic Machining can be used machine brittle, Conductive/non-conductive

materials, Hard and Fragile material

9
UNIT-II UNCONVENTIONAL MACHINING PROCESS

• Heat is not generated in this Machining process so there is very little or negligible
physical change in the workpiece.

• The operation is noiseless.

• Equipment used here in this machining can be used by skilled as well as unskilled
operators.

• A good surface finish and high accuracy can be achieved.

• Non-metal that cannot be machined by EDM and ECM because of poor electrical
conductivity, but can very well be machined by Ultrasonic Machining.

• USM process is used for drilling both circular and non-circular holes in very hard
materials like carbide, ceramics

Disadvantages of ultrasonic Machining are:

• Material Removal Rate is Low.

• The energy requirement for cutting is high.

• The softer material is difficult to machine

• It is difficult to drill deep holes in Ultrasonic Machining, as there is a restriction of

slurry movement.

• High Tool wear rate due to the movement of abrasive particles.

Application
• Glass, Ceramic, carbides, diamond, tungsten and precious stones can be machined.
• Ultrasonic Machining is used for the machining of non-conductive ceramics.
• Material that has a high scrap rate means fragile material can be machined by this
process very effectively.
• Machining of dies for wire drawing, punching, and blanking operations.
• USM can be used to cut industrial diamonds.
• It enables a dentist to drill a hole of any shape on teeth without any pain.
• Used for grinding Quartz, Glass, ceramics.
• Also Used for making dies.

10
UNIT-II UNCONVENTIONAL MACHINING PROCESS

Material Removal rate (MRR):

• The material removal rate per unit time is inversely proportional to the cutting area of
the tool

• Boron carbide is the hardest material and has the highest metal removal rate

Wear ratio for different material:

S. No Wear ratio Type of material

1 1:1 For Hardened tool steel Work Pieces

2 1.5:1 For Tungsten Carbide Work Pieces

3 100:1 For Glass Work Pieces

4 50:1 For Quartz Work Pieces

5 75:1 For Ceramics

Abrasive Material and Cutting Power:

Process Parameters:

 Material removal rate

 Tool material
 Tool wear rate
 Abrasive material and abrasive slurry

11
UNIT-II UNCONVENTIONAL MACHINING PROCESS

 Surface finish
 Work material

TYPES OF TRANSDUCER:

1. Piezoelectric transducer

2. Magnetostriction/Magneto-strive transducer

PIEZOELECTRIC TRANSDUCER

 It’s more efficient than magnetostrictive transducer. The modern USM are of this
type.
 Piezoelectric transducers are a type of electro acoustic transducer that converts the
electrical charges produced by some forms of solid materials into energy.
 The word "piezoelectric" literally means electricity caused by pressure.

PIEZOELECTRIC EFFECT

Figure 2.13 Piezoelectric Effect

 When mechanical force is applied to one pair of opposite faces of certain crystals like
quartz, tourmaline, etc., equal and opposite electrical charges appear across its other
faces.
 But ultrasonic generation is based on inverse piezoelectric effect

12
UNIT-II UNCONVENTIONAL MACHINING PROCESS

Figure 2.14 Piezoelectric Circuit

WORKING:

13
UNIT-II UNCONVENTIONAL MACHINING PROCESS

RESONANCE:

ADVANTAGES:

DISADVANTAGES:
1. Piezoelectric quartz is high cost
2. Cutting and shaping of crystal is very complex.

14
UNIT-II UNCONVENTIONAL MACHINING PROCESS

Magnetostriction/Magneto-strive transducer

a)

(b)
Figure 2.15 Magnetostriction circuit

15
UNIT-II UNCONVENTIONAL MACHINING PROCESS

RESONANCE:

ADVANTAGES:

DISADVANTAGES:

16