An Experimental Study of the Effects of Ultrasonic Cavitation-Assisted Machining (UCAM) on Ti-6Al-4V

Abstract

Ti-6Al-4V has extensive applications in high-tech industries like aviation, defence and biomedical. However, the cutting of Ti-6Al-4V is challenging due to its poor machinability. Recently, ultrasonic cavitation-assisted machining (UCAM) has emerged as a cutting process that utilises high-frequency and low-amplitude vibrations to induce the formation of cavitation bubbles, thereby improving cutting performance. Despite the benefits of UCAM, there is lack of research investigating its application in Ti-6Al-4V. This study aims to investigate the efficacy of UCAM in improving the cutting performance of Ti-6Al-4V and compare it with conventional methods. Specifically, the study compares UCAM with conventional machining (CM) under conventional cutting fluid. The study reveals that UCAM can reduce cutting forces by up to 49.5% and surface roughness by up to 51.9%. Additionally, UCAM yields more uniform, homogeneous surfaces with reduced surface damage compared to CM. These results demonstrate the potential of UCAM for enhancing cutting performance of Ti-6Al-4V.