Design and analysis for vibration assisted micro milling

Vibration Assisted Machining is an example of sustainable manufacturing concept application and as an alternative machining process, to improve machine performance and machined surface quality. Machine construction and system respond toward the applied active vibration, actuator selection with a function to generate vibration, the direction, and placement of vibration on to the machine, workpiece properties, and product complexity of the required product, are the main aspects to design Vibration Assisted Machining for machining process especially in microscale. VAM design had been introduced and investigated by many researchers for many types of machine and manufacturing process, thru the structural static and dynamic load on to machine structure due to the vibration additional at its resonant frequency toward the machined surface quality, by conducted simulation or experimental or comparison of both. Nevertheless, the research about VAM design development for the miniaturized machine for milling was still limited. Thus this paper would like to introduce VAM mechanism in which the workpiece would be positioned and customized for miniaturized milling machine, by implementing product development evaluation and finite element method to obtain the stress and displacement plot. Piezoelectric actuator and flexure combination was chosen as the most compatible design in comparison to the application of mechanical and vibration motor system. Finite element simulation showed VAM able to uphold the targeted machining forces and to vibrate workpiece with displacement within several micrometers.