Development of a Non-Contact Micro-Deburring Method Using Ultrasonic Cavitation Bubbles

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to develop a non-contact deburring method and optimize its operation parameters. A deburring method using enhanced ultrasonic cavitation without abrasives is proposed and its work conditions were optimized. In additional, aging changes on the microhardness and surface roughness of specimens were studied experimentally in the process. The aging microhardness went through two stages. In the first stage, the work hardening characteristic of aluminum induced the increase in microhardness of specimen. After the microhardness reached an extreme, it went down. The surface roughness increased with treatment time. These time-dependent changes indicated that parts should be treated discontinuously during the ultrasonic deburring process to avoid being eroded by cavitation bubbles. Deburring experiments indicated that the burrs can be effectively removed by these enhanced cavitation bubbles.