Towards understanding the material removal mechanism on the effect of ultrasonic vibration and anisotropy for unidirectional CFRP by scratching

Abstract

Rotary Ultrasonic Machining (RUM) is a well-known non-traditional machining method for hole-making and surface grinding of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics (CFRP). However, the complicated material removal behavior of CFRP is difficult to understand due to its heterogeneity and anisotropy resulting from components and the nature of laminated structures. In this concern, we conducted ultrasonic vibration-assisted scratching (UVAS) to understand the material removal mechanisms with the effect of ultrasonic vibration and fiber anisotropy. Based on scratching morphology, the removal behavior of unidirectional CFRP (UD-CFRP) varied in different scratching directions. Meanwhile, the addition of ultrasonic vibration could suppress machining damage generated by the scratching process. The motion trajectory analysis and experimental results show that the ultrasonic vibration-assisted scratching load is smaller under the same machining parameters. Discussions on the material removal mechanism of UD-CFRP during the effect of ultrasonic vibration and fiber anisotropy were also provided. This research will contribute towards an in-depth understanding of the material removal mechanism for fiber reinforced plastics composites in RUM, which will be useful in optimizing the application of ultrasonic vibration assisted processes for advanced composites machining.