The Role of Dry Aero-acoustical Lubrication and Material Softening in Ultrasonically Assisted Milling of Difficult-to-Cut AISI 304 Steels

Abstract

A recent and promising technique in advanced material processing techniques is the use of ultrasonic assistance in almost all cutting, forming and shaping processes. Optimizing manufacturing costs through reducing process forces and tool wears, improving machinability through enhancing surface finish and quality with minimal production time and energy, and delivering products with prolonged service life are some of the most important features of the vibration assisted manufacturing methods. To study the effect of ultrasonic vibrations on the milling process of the stainless steels, a series of experiments was designed and then implemented on a difficult-to-machine material. The result of the surface roughness and the cutting force tests has been comprised with and without processing by ultrasonic assistance. Experiments prove that under ultrasonic assistance, cutting forces are reduced, surface quality is improved and in all, a better machinability is achieved. It is concluded that dry aero-acoustical lubrication conditions and materials softening are of crucial importance in the machinability of difficult-to-cut AISI 304 materials.