Research into the transition of material removal mechanism for C/SiC in rotary ultrasonic face machining

Ceramic matrix composites of type C/SiC with superior properties have got increasing importance in many fields of industry, especially in the aerospace area. Rotary ultrasonic machining is a high-efficiency processing technology for these advanced materials. However, due to the inhomogeneity and anisotropy of these composites, the machining process is still challenging to achieve desired result due to the lack of understanding and control of material removal mechanism. In this paper, the maximum depth of penetration by diamond abrasives in workpiece material is proposed to quantify the material removal modes. A model of maximum depth of penetration for rotary ultrasonic face machining (RUFM) was developed based on the indentation theory. An experimental RUFM of C/SiC was carried out, and it revealed that the material removal mechanism transited from ductile mode to brittle fracture mode with the decrease of cutting speed. Similar transition was observed with the increase of feed rate and cutting depth. By comparing the measured cutting force with simulation, a critical depth of penetration for the cutting mechanism transition was defined at about 4 μm. The processed surface topography was studied, and the transition of material removal modes was identified by the sudden change of the 3D surface roughness map at the critical penetration depth. Thus, the maximum depth of penetration model developed in this paper can be applied to identify the ductile or brittle fracture removal mode in RUFM of C/SiC using the cutting parameters. This allows controlling the material removal mechanism to achieve desired machining efficiency and quality.