Elliptical Vibration Cutting for Difficult-to-Cut Materials

Abstract

Recent researches/developments of elliptical vibration cutting and related topics are introduced in this chapter. The elliptical vibration is applied to the tool together with the cutting motion so that the cutting process becomes intermittent, and the tool can pull up the chip. This unique cutting process leads to many superior machining performances such as low cutting force, high machining accuracy, and long tool life compared to conventional vibration cutting as well as ordinary cutting. For ultraprecision machining of difficult-to-cut materials, follow-up studies and developments have been carried out to demonstrate its performances, to expand its applications, and to clarify its mechanics. For example, it is verified that the elliptical vibration cutting can realize mirror surface finishing of difficult-to-cut materials, e.g., hardened steel, with a very small tool wear. Ductile mode machining of brittle materials, e.g., tungsten carbide, can be realized by the elliptical vibration cutting for not only plane surfaces but also textured surfaces which is difficult to be obtained from other cutting methods. High-efficiency mirror surface finishing of hardened die steel is also realized with the developed high-power vibration device. Ultraprecision machining of high-hardness steel, i.e., Rockwell C hardness exceeds 60 HRC, can also be realized, and the alloy elements that affect the tool wear and micro-chipping are investigated to further understand about the mechanism.