Preliminary Design of 2D Ultrasonic Vibration Assisted Micro-milling (UVAMM) Using Piezoelectric Stack Actuator

In this modern time, many researchers have been developing methods for micro-machining due to the demand for micro-sized products. The ability of micro-milling in producing complex miniature products with fine surface finish makes it often used by industries compared to other micro-machining processes such as chemical etching and LIGA. High-performance 5-axis micro-milling can be taken into consideration for surface texturing applications. However, it will need various parameters to improve the performance of machined products. Adding Vibration Assisted Machining (VAM) to conventional machining can improve machining quality and machining efficiency, also increasing tool life. This method will generate periodic vibrations that oscillate with a certain frequency and amplitude on the cutting tool or workpiece. There are two types of vibration directions given to the machining process: 1D VAM where the additional vibration is given parallel to the feed-cutting direction and 2D VAM where the vibration is applied to the axis perpendicular to the feed-cutting direction. However, studies on the design development of the 2D VAM system for micro-scale machining using piezoelectric stack actuators with a flexure design are still limited. For this reason, this paper provides a preliminary design of 2D Vibration Assisted Micro-Milling (VAMM) with a piezo stack used as a device that generates vibration to the workpiece with a frequency range above 20 kHz. The variation dimension of the flexure design will also be considered.