Material-removal-rate analysis in the ultrasonic machining of engineering ceramics

A study on the ultrasonic machining of holes in engineering ceramics has be en undertaken and the machining mechanism in the ultrasonic machining of en gineering ceramics based on the fracture-mechanics concept has been analyze d. A new theoretical model of the material removal rate in ultrasonic machi ning is proposed. It has been concluded that any increase in the amount of work/energy imparted to the ceramics in terms of the amplitude of the tool tip, the static load applied and the size of the abrasive, will result in a n increase in the material removal rate. Selecting 99.5% Al2O3 ceramics as the workpiece materials, experiments have been carried out, the results sho wing that ultrasonic machining is an effective method for the machining of engineering ceramics. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.