Conventional Cutting Research Articles

Microstructural characteristics with process-microstructure-property relations during high-frequency ultrasonic vibration-assisted cutting of metallic material

Microstructural characteristics of chips and machined surfaces are influenced by the multiphysics fields distribution. This study investigates the multiphysics-induced microstructural deformation behaviors of CuZn37 metallic alloy during high-frequency ultrasonic vibration-assisted cutting (HFUVAC) and conventional cutting (CC). One the one hand, the multiphysics field distribution was established to clarify the chip formation of cutting characteristics and transient deformation process. The multiphysics field distribution of HFUVAC exhibited periodic changes due to tool intermittent movement, resulting in reduced cutting temperature and force. This intermittent movement also enhanced the sharpening shear effect due to instantaneous impact stress, transitioning from fragmented quasi-shear strain to continual multiple-shear strain during chip formation. One the other hand, the microstructural changes were examined to explain material removal mechanisms. The microstructure of CC demonstrated grain refinement and dislocation slip induced by friction and significant shear deformation. The microstructure of HFUVAC revealed the formations of dynamic recrystallization, twinning structures, and stacking faults, which were associated with enhanced plastic activity and limited slipping due to high-frequency impacts. The work reveals the response of the workpiece microstructure under the composite effects of high-frequency impacts and cutting process, which provides theoretical basis for the microstructure modification design through cutting technology.

Effect of UEVC parameters on cutting surface quality and subsurface damage of single crystal γ-TiAl alloy via atomic simulation

TiAl alloys are favored by the aerospace industry due to its excellent mechanical properties. However, its intrinsic brittleness, the use of conventional cutting (CC) process leads to the problems of high cutting force and high cutting temperature, which in turn affects the machined surface quality. Ultrasonic elliptical vibratory cutting (UEVC) has been proved to be an effective method to improve the surface quality and reduce the subsurface damage of difficult-to-machine materials. This paper compares the effects of CC and UEVC processes on cutting forces and subsurface damage based on molecular dynamics simulation methods, and the effects of elliptical vibration frequencies and amplitude ratios (AR) on surface morphology, roughness, and subsurface damage are investigated. The results show that the cutting force and subsurface damage in the UEVC process are reduced compared with that in the CC. Due to the vibration frequency, the subsurface damage is mainly dominated by atomic clusters, and both surface and subsurface masses show an optimization trend as the vibration frequency decreases. In terms of the AR, the surface quality is better at an AR of 2/3, with less activation of immovable dislocations, and the degree of subsurface damage decreases as the AR increases, and a relatively stable defective structure emerges when the AR is 1/2. The simulation results facilitate an atomic-scale comprehension of the removal mechanism of UEVC and further provide a theoretical foundation for the surface mass and subsurface damage mechanism and optimization of vibrational parameters of UEVC single crystal γ-TiAl alloy.

An Experiment Study on Surface Topography of GH4169 Assisted by Ultrasonic Elliptical Vibration Ultra-Precision Turning

Nickel-based superalloys (GH4169) are a typical difficult-to-machine material with poor thermal conductivity and severe work hardening. They are also prone to poor surface quality, severe tool wear, and poor machinability, which affect their performance. In this paper, an experimental study of GH4169 ultrasonic elliptical vibratory ultra-precision cutting was carried out. The experimental results show that ultrasonic elliptical vibratory cutting (UEVC) significantly reduces surface roughness and improves surface quality compared to conventional cutting (CC). The effects of cutting parameters such as cutting speed, feed rate, cutting depth, ultrasonic amplitude, and tool nose radius on the surface roughness of GH4169 workpieces were further investigated in UEVC. Based on the analysis of the experimental data, the optimal combination of parameters for GH4169 ultrasonic elliptical vibration ultra-precision cutting was determined: cutting speed of 3 m/min, feed rate of 16 μm/rev, cutting depth of 2 μm, ultrasonic amplitude of Ay = 3.0 μm, Az = 0.8 μm, and a tool nose radius of 0.8 mm. This parameter combination improves the machining quality of GH4169 and provides a valuable reference for the subsequent development of ultrasonic elliptical vibratory cutting for other difficult-to-machine materials.

Theoretical and experimental investigation of ultrasonic cutting kinematics and its effect on chip formation and surface generation in high-frequency ultrasonic vibration-assisted diamond cutting

Ultrasonic vibration-assisted cutting (UVAC) is regarded as a feasible technology to machine difficult-to-cut materials. High-frequency ultrasonic vibration-assisted cutting (HFUVAC), with a working frequency of more than low and medium frequency (20–60 kHz), has been reported to improve material machinability and prolong tool life. This paper presents a comprehensive investigation of the ultrasonic cutting kinematics and the generated chip/surface formation process in HFUVAC of a 316l stainless steel workpiece. First, the ultrasonic cutting kinematics was analyzed and verified by comparing the experimental and theoretical surface texture under different nominal cutting speeds. Based on the ultrasonic cutting kinematics and the simulated strain/stress distributions, the chip and surface formation between conventional cutting (CC) and HFUVAC was analyzed. More importantly, the incremental cutting mode was defined when the cutting stroke, namely the effective cutting length in one vibration cycle was less than 800 nm. The results show that in the incremental cutting mode, defect-free surface was achieved due to suppressed large deformation and friction action. Finally, HFUVAC of the sinusoidal microstructure was performed under the incremental cutting mode, achieving optical requirements with nanometer-scale surface roughness and submicrometric form accuracy, which validates the technical feasibility in HFUVAC of micro-structured surfaces.

Evolution mechanism of microstructure and microhardness of Ti–6Al–4V alloy during ultrasonic elliptical vibration assisted ultra-precise cutting

The ultra-precision Ti–6Al–4V alloy parts are growing used in medical and aerospace industries, and which always work in the extreme working conditions such as high temperature, high pressure, and variable load. Thus, the requirements for machining accuracy and surface quality of parts are getting higher and higher. The ultrasonic elliptical vibration assisted cutting (UEVC) technology has been proved to be an effective method for the ultra-precision machining of Ti–6Al–4V alloy. However, in the UEVC process, the evolution mechanism of microstructure and microhardness, which directly affect the service performance and life, is unrevealed. In this paper, the comprehensive investigations of microstructural plastic deformation, grain refinement, phase transformation and microhardness of machined surface layer under conventional cutting (CC) and UEVC processes are carried out. The experimental results indicated that, due to the effects of UEVC technology, the plastic deformation area show obvious compression deformation, the depth of plastic deformation is less than 10 μm, there is no obvious phase transformation on the machined surface layer material, and the hardening rate of machined surface is more than 20%. These findings show the UEVC technology has a unique influence on the microstructure and microhardness of Ti–6Al–4V alloy, which have important implications for the cutting parameter design of ultra-precision Ti–6Al–4V alloy parts.

Study on the processing characteristics of aluminum honeycomb core by longitudinal torsional composite ultrasonic vibration-assisted cutting

Aluminum honeycomb has been widely used in various industrial sectors due to its exceptional physical properties. Ultrasonic vibration machining shows significant potential in reducing machining defects. Therefore, this study employs ultrasonic vibration assisted cutting (UVC) to process aluminum honeycomb core and compares cutting force, surface morphology, and cutting defects with the conventional cutting (CC). This investigation assesses the impact of processing parameters such as feed rate and cutting depth on both UVC and CC. The results indicate that, in comparison to CC, UVC can notably reduce cutting force, minimize tearing burrs and cell deformation defects, and achieve superior surface morphology. Furthermore, the study reveals that cutting force increases with higher tool feed rates and cutting depths. Cell deformation also escalates with increased tool feed rates and cutting depths, and tearing burrs become more pronounced with deeper cuts. Excessively shallow cutting depths can lead to a sudden increase in node defects. Simultaneously, tearing burrs and cell deformation exhibit different characteristics under CC and UVC.

Wear study of CBN tools in laser ultrasonic composite cutting of cemented carbide

The laser ultrasonic composite cutting (LUCC) process was proposed by combining laser heating-assisted cutting (LHAC) and elliptical ultrasonic vibration cutting (UVC). In the process of cutting experiment, cubic boron nitride (CBN) is selected as the tool’s material. The wear morphology and wear appearance of the tools were observed by super depth-of-field microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to research the wear characteristics and wear mechanism of CBN tools during LUCC of cemented carbide. Compared with conventional cutting (CC), UVC and LHAC, during LUCC of cemented carbide with CBN tools the tool wear are significantly reduced by 45.11%, 28.92%, and 17.39% respectively, the cutting force are decreased by 61%, 44%, and 46% respectively, and the surface roughness are lowered by 77%, 55%, and 62% respectively, therefore the tool life is obviously lengthened. Moreover, the tool flank wears model of during LUCC of cemented carbide was established and verified by the tool flank face wear test. The results show that when the CBN tool is used for LUCC of cemented carbide, the wear band on the tool’s rake face is basically parallel to the cutting edge and is in the shape of a long strip, and the wear band on the tool’s flank face shows a triangular-shaped wear band accompanied by shallow pits and grooves; In the process of the LUCC of cemented carbide, the main causes of CBN tool wear include adhesive wear, oxidation wear and abrasive wear are the main causes of CBN tool wear during LUCC of cemented carbide; The faster the cutting speed, the bigger the error among the experimental value with the calculated value, and the wear of tool’s flank face during LUCC of cemented carbide gradually increased.

Characterization of Ultrasonically Assisted Orthogonal Cutting of Bone Using Digital Image Correlation Analysis

Abstract Bone cutting with high performance material removal is critical for enhancing orthopedic surgery. Ultrasonically assisted cutting (UAC) is an advanced process with the potential to improve the material removal. However, strain and other intermediate variables in bone cutting are difficult to obtain because of the lack of suitable measurement methods, especially for high-frequency vibration-assisted cutting. In this study, digital image correlation (DIC) analysis was applied for the first time to investigate the full-field strain map and the mechanism of crack development during conventional cutting (CC) and ultrasonically assisted cutting of cortical bone. A novel method for calculating cutting and thrust forces under the mixed fracture mode of bone was also proposed. Extensive experimental results showed that the average strain and strain rate of cortical bone decreased after the application of UAC, but the maximum transient strain rate in UAC was greater than that in CC, and the crack-affected area and shear band width in UAC were smaller than those in CC. In addition, the strain parameters obtained by the DIC analysis were used to calculate the cutting and thrust forces in the hybrid fracture mode. The calculated values of forces matched well (over 90%) with the measured results, indicating the strong feasibility of DIC applications in orthogonal bone cutting research. This study has significant theoretical and practical value since it reveals the fracture mechanism of cortical bone in UAC, demonstrates a non-contact full-field measurement method for tissue strain calculation, and provides inspiration for optimizing the design of innovative orthopedic instruments.

Micro/nano incremental material removal mechanisms in high-frequency ultrasonic vibration-assisted cutting of 316L stainless steel

Although the intermittent contact by the ultrasonic vibration-assisted cutting explained the machinability advantages, there exists a research gap in concentrating the effects of high-frequency ultrasonic vibration-assisted cutting (HFUVAC). This work clarified the differences of the micro/nano incremental material removal mechanisms between conventional cutting (CC) and high-frequency ultrasonic vibration-assisted cutting of 316 L stainless steel. The machinability advantages and microstructure features were compared and analyzed through the ultra-precision cutting experiments. Compared with the continuous contact mode of the conventional cutting, the incremental effect of the high-frequency ultrasonic vibration-assisted cutting achieved superior machinability, which included cutting force decreasing, tool wear reduction, surface defects suppression, and chips undergoing from discontinuous quasi-shear state to continuous multiple-shear state. As the nominal cutting speed increased in the high-frequency ultrasonic vibration-assisted cutting, the surface defects and surface roughness showed an increasing trend, which was indispensable to control the normal cutting speeds below 5 m/min, or the cutting stroke in each vibration cycle less than 800 nm to obtain the defect-free surface. The grain refinement and severe elongation deformation were observed at the chip bottom and machined surface of the conventional cutting due to strong mechanical friction loads. While the microstructure features of chips and the machined surface in the local deformation layer were the results of friction reduction, dynamic recrystallization, and twinning/stacking formation induced by the incremental effects of the high-frequency ultrasonic vibration-assisted cutting. The results help to improve surface quality and optimize the ratio of cutting speed to vibration frequency to enhance the efficiency.

Wear resistance enhancement of Inconel 718 via high-speed ultrasonic vibration cutting and associated surface integrity evaluation under high-pressure coolant supply

Machining-induced surface integrity evaluation and functional performance are considered as the most representative problems for evaluating the machining quality of Ni-based superalloys (for example, Inconel 718). Although high-speed ultrasonic vibration cutting (HUVC) has been proved to be effective for improving the machinability of Inconel 718, the surface integrity and its effect on functional performance (for example, wear resistance) are still unclear. By applying scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), and white light interferometry (WLI), the surface integrity induced by HUVC and the wear resistance of the machined surface were comprehensively evaluated; the grain refinement, hardness increase, and wear mechanism of the machined surface were thoroughly studied, which were compared with the conventional cutting (CC) process. Compared with the CC process, the HUVC process achieves superior grain refinement, thicker surface plastic deformation layer, lower surface roughness Ra and Rz, higher hardness and compressive residual stress, and thicker hardening layer. The wear rate of the machined surface processed by HUVC is reduced by at most 24.01%. This study shows that the HUVC process can be potentially used to improve the wear resistance, which can effectively achieve grain refinement, surface roughness reduction, and wear resistance improvement while reducing the machining cost and process procedure.

Experimental Investigation of Material Removal in Elliptical Vibration Cutting of Cortical Bone

To benefit tissue removal and postoperative rehabilitation, increased efficiency and accuracy and reduced operating force are strongly required in the osteotomy. A novel elliptical vibration cutting (EVC) has been introduced for bone cutting compared with conventional cutting (CC) in this paper. With the assistance of high-speed microscope imaging and the dynamometer, the material removals of cortical bone and their cutting forces from two cutting regimes were recorded and analysed comprehensively, which clearly demonstrated the chip morphology improvement and the average cutting force reduction in the EVC process. It also revealed that the elliptical vibration of the cutting tool could promote fracture propagation along the shear direction. These new findings will be of important theoretical and practical values to apply the innovative EVC process to the surgical procedures of the osteotomy.

Effect of high-speed ultrasonic vibration cutting on the microstructure, surface integrity, and wear behavior of titanium alloy

Titanium alloys are widely used in aviation, marine, automotive, offshore, and medical fields. However, their poor wear resistance reduces the safety and reliability of components during service. Few study has been previously conducted on the wear resistance enhancement of titanium alloys (including Ti–6Al–4V alloy) processed by mechanical cutting. High-speed ultrasonic vibration cutting (HUVC) is an effective approach for improving the machinability of titanium alloys. In this study, we attempted to utilize HUVC improving the wear resistance of titanium alloys. After conducting high-speed turning (cutting speed within the range of 200–300 m/min), the surface integrities (surface roughness, microstructure, in-depth micro-hardness, and residual stress) of conventional cutting (CC)- and HUVC-machined samples were characterized. Experimental results demonstrated that, compared with CC, HUVC achieved a thicker plastic deformation layer (greater than 46.93 μm), lower surface roughness, higher surface micro-hardness (greater than 433 HV0.05), and higher compressive residual stress (up to −840 MPa). Moreover, surface nanocrystallization and gradient nanostructured layer were observed in HUVC-machined Ti–6Al–4V samples. In addition, compared with CC, HUVC effectively further reduced the friction coefficient and worn volume loss (decreased by 20.98%–25.59%) and ultimately improved the wear resistance. The hardness has a higher influence on the wear resistance of the machined Ti–6Al–4V alloy than the other surface integrity factors. Therefore, the proposed mechanical cutting operation was confirmed to improve the wear resistance of titanium alloys.

Mediating compositional machining difference of UD-CFRP in orthogonal cutting by epoxy coating

The intrinsically different mechanical properties between fiber and matrix result into heterogeneous deformation behavior of unidirectional carbon fiber reinforced polymer (UD-CFRP) composites under mechanical loading. And how to minimize even eliminate the compositional machining difference is central for enhancing the machinability of UD-CFRP composites. In the present work, we propose a novel cutting strategy of applying an epoxy coating onto the pre-machined surface, i.e., epoxy coating cutting (ECC), for mediating the compositional machining difference accompanied with promoted machinability of UD-CFRP composites. Experimental results of both ECC and conventional cutting (CC) illustrate the alternation of cutting force, chip formation and machined surface quality by applying epoxy coating. Corresponding micromechanical finite element simulations of ECC reveal that the introduced restraining effect by epoxy coating is effective in prolonging the failure resistance of matrix, and thus minimizing the machining difference between fiber and matrix. The dependence of the mediating effect of epoxy coating on coating thickness is further evaluated by numerical simulations and corresponding experiments. Current findings provide novel insights and a practical guidance for rationally mediating the compositional machining difference of CFRP composites by employing the ECC strategy.

Study on high-speed vibration cutting of titanium alloy considering cutting edge radii

Ultrasonic vibration cutting (UVC) is an advanced machining method used to improve machining performance and surface quality in the manufacturing industry. However, the separation characteristic disappears when the cutting speed exceeds the maximum vibration speed, which limits its wide application in high-speed machining. Therefore, this study used the finite element method (FEM) to study the high-speed vibration cutting (HVC) processing performance of titanium alloys. High-speed vibration cutting is a precision machining method with a smaller cutting depth and feed rate, so it is necessary to consider the influence of the cutting edge radii on the cutting process. The cutting edge radii on high-speed vibration cutting and the impact of the traditional cutting process are discussed. The results show that the change in the minimum uncut chip thickness caused by changing the cutting edge radii during precision cutting has a significant influence on the experimental results. In addition, a simulation model was established, and comprehensive numerical analysis and comparison of high-speed vibration cutting, ultrasonic vibration cutting, and conventional cutting (CC) were performed to tool wear, cutting temperature, cutting force, and stress distribution. The simulation results indicate that the tool wear depth of traditional cutting during high-speed cutting is up to three times that of high-speed vibration cutting. High-speed vibration cutting weakens the influence of the cutting edge radii, but this new vibration cutting method did not significantly reduce the cutting temperature under dry cutting conditions.

Investigation of Surface Integrity of Selective Laser Melting Additively Manufactured AlSi10Mg Alloy under Ultrasonic Elliptical Vibration-Assisted Ultra-Precision Cutting.

Additive manufacturing technology has been widely used in aviation, aerospace, automobiles and other fields due to the fact that near-net-shaped components with unprecedented geometric freedom can be fabricated. Additively manufactured aluminum alloy has received a lot of attention, due to its excellent material properties. However, the finished surface of additively manufactured aluminum alloy with nanoscale surface roughness is quite challenging and rarely addressed. In this paper, a novel machining technology known as ultrasonic elliptical vibration-assisted cutting (UEVC) was adopted to suppress the generation of cracks, improve the surface integrity and reduce tool wear during the ultra-precision machining of selective laser melting (SLM) additively manufactured AlSi10Mg alloy. The experimental results revealed that, in the conventional cutting (CC) process, surface defects, such as particles, pores and grooves, appeared on the machined surface, and the machined surface rapidly deteriorated with the increase in cumulative cutting area. In contrast, an almost flawless machined surface was obtained in the UEVC process, and its roughness value was less than 10 nm. Moreover, the tool wear of the CC tool was remarkably greater than that of the UEVC tool, and the standard flank wear width of the CC tool was more than twice that of the UEVC tool. Therefore, the UEVC technology is considered to be a feasible method for the ultra-precision machining of SLM additively manufactured AlSi10Mg alloy.

Theoretical analysis of cooling mechanism in high-speed ultrasonic vibration cutting interfaces

Cutting temperature has been found as the key factor for the tool life and surface quality during the machining of the difficult-to-cut materials (e.g., titanium and super alloys). To control the cutting temperature, a high-speed ultrasonic vibration cutting (HUVC) method has been proposed by existing research, in which the tool and workpiece have periodic separations and thus open the closed cutting interfaces compared with conventional cutting (CC). On that basis, the coolant can penetrate in the cutting interfaces which is quite different from the cooling methods for CC. Accordingly, in this study, Finite element method (FEM) and experiment methods were used to examine the cooling mechanism in the opened cutting interfaces based on the coolant state, which can guide further scientific research and engineering application of HUVC or even CC. At first, the expanded conventional model and the ultrasonic vibration model used to describe CC and HUVC were developed. Subsequently, FEM was used to examine the transient states of the velocity, pressure, temperature and synergy angle fields in the interfaces opening process. Next, ultrasonic vibration interfaces observation through high-speed visualization was conducted to verify the accuracy of the calculation results using the FEM. Lastly, the cutting experiments on titanium alloys were performed to verify the trends of the FEM results. As revealed by the results, ultrasonic vibration would lead to reversed flows by the negative pressure generated when the interfaces were opening. Subsequently, this reversed flow would lead to the formation of unstable thermal boundary layer, thus increasing the field synergic effect, which directly enhanced the heat flux and convection of the coolant in the opened cutting interfaces.

Finite element analysis and experimental study on the cutting mechanism of SiCp/Al composites by ultrasonic vibration-assisted cutting

SiCp/Al composites are considered difficult to machine due to the relatively high hardness of SiC particles. In this paper, ultrasonic vibration-assisted cutting (UVAC) technology is used to improve the machining of SiCp/Al composites. Firstly, cutting process of conventional cutting (CC) and UVAC of SiCp/Al composites are simulated by the finite element simulation method. Moreover, damage characteristics of SiC particles are explored when tool cutting path is located at different positions of SiC particles within the two machining methods. Machined surface/subsurface damage of workpiece is observed, and consistency with simulation results is verified. Then, combined with energy dispersive spectroscopy analysis technology, tool wear mechanism of UVAC and CC is explored, and wear characteristics of tool flank are analyzed. Moreover, chip formation features of UVAC and CC are also compared. Finally, relationship between the cutting force and surface roughness during CC and UVAC regarding different cutting process parameters is compared. According to obtained results, UVAC technology could reduce tool wear, improve machinability of SiCp/Al composites, and improve surface integrity of SiCp/Al composites, where cutting force is reduced by about 40%, surface roughness is reduced by 34%, and subsurface damage depth is reduced by 86%.

Experimental Study of a Novel Ultrasonic Vibration-Assisted Structure for Radial Milling

A novel ultrasonic vibration-assisted structure for radial milling is proposed, and the ultrasonic vibration-assisted radial milling (UVARM) is further studied in terms of theoretical model and milling experiment. The motion and feed characteristics of UVARM are also analyzed. A special fixture is designed to construct the experimental platform of UVARM, in which the vibration is applied to the workpiece along the radial direction. The preliminary results show that with the increase of spindle speed, the milling force in both conventional cutting (CC) and UVARM experiments tends to increase. In addition, when the feed per tooth increased, the milling force increased. With the involvement of ultrasonic vibration, the milling force is significantly reduced, with the maximum reduction reaching 20%. The comprehensive analysis showed that there was a decrease of about 10% to 25% in the ultrasonic case compared with the conventional method. It is also found that UVARM can inhibit the production of a built-up edge. With the ultrasonic vibration, the burrs on the processed surface are also reduced, and the grooves left by tool traces are shallower. Compared with conventional milling, the roughness value of the machined surface obtained by UVARM is reduced by 10% to 32%. The experimental results also show that UVARM can effectively improve the dimensional accuracy of the workpiece.

Improvement of Ti–6Al–4V surface integrity through the use of high-speed ultrasonic vibration cutting

High-speed ultrasonic vibration cutting (HUVC) has been demonstrated to be a good machining technique for titanium alloys. However, although surface integrity is known to strongly impact the service performance of components (e.g., wear resistance and fatigue performance), the surface integrity of titanium alloys machined via HUVC has not been investigated. In this study, the effects of HUVC on various aspects of the surface integrity of Ti–6Al–4V were investigated. First, the ironing effect of HUVC was analyzed. Then, an experiment for comparing the HUVC technique to a conventional cutting (CC) technique was carried out under the conditions of a cutting speed range of 100–400 m/min. The specimens subjected to HUVC were found to have lower surface roughness, a more uniform surface texture, a thicker subsurface deformation layer (27–82 µm), and higher surface micro-hardness (413–472 HV0.2) and compressive residual stress (−574 to −925 MPa in the feed direction) than those subjected to CC.

Integration of finishing and surface treatment of Inconel 718 alloy using high-speed ultrasonic vibration cutting

The successful implementation of high-speed ultrasonic vibration cutting (HUVC) to improve the machinability of the Inconel 718 alloy has been reported in literature. However, the influence of HUVC on the surface integrity of the Inconel 718 alloy has not been investigated. In this context, this study is the first attempt to integrate cutting operations and mechanical surface treatment into one step via HUVC. To this end, an experiment was performed to compare the surface integrity of conventional cutting (CC) and HUVC using coated carbide tools at high cutting speeds (80–240 m/min). The experiment revealed that HUVC led to a lower surface roughness, regular surface micro-texture, deeper subsurface deformation zone (up to 104.47 μm), higher surface micro-hardness rate (by up to ~50%), and higher surface compressive residual stress (−1772 to −2323 MPa) compared to CC. In some occasions, a single HUVC step can be used to satisfy requirements originally addressed over two distinct steps (cutting operation and mechanical surface treatment) by improving surface integrity.