Investigation on Enhanced Machinability of SiC Ceramics through Photocatalytic Vibration Composite Polishing.

The problems of low polishing efficiency and serious surface damage in the processing of silicon carbide (SiC) ceramics are well-known. In view of the above problems, a new method of photocatalytic vibration composite polishing (PVCP) combined with a compound control strategy was proposed. A vibration-assisted device was developed, and a compound control system was designed for the device to improve the trajectory tracking accuracy. Experiments were carried out to verify the effectiveness of the vibration-assisted device and the compound control system. In addition, methyl orange degradation and fading experiments, redox potential measurement experiments, and SiC ceramic surface hardness characterization experiments were carried out to reveal the effects of vibration and photocatalytic parameters on polishing solution oxidation and SiC ceramic surface mechanical properties. Finally, the effects of photocatalysis, vibration frequency, amplitude, and the compound control system on the polishing effect were analyzed. The results show that when the UV intensity is 100%, the polishing force is 3-4N, the vibration frequency is 400 Hz, the amplitude is 15 µm, and the surface roughness of SiC ceramics is reduced by about 11 nm after the introduction of the compound control system, which verifies the effectiveness of the combination of the compound control system and PVCP.

Design, analysis, and testing of a new asymmetric vibration-assisted stage for roll-type polishing.

Based on the technological characteristics of roll-type polishing, a new asymmetric vibration-assisted stage is proposed in this paper. This stage is characterized by asymmetric displacement and asymmetric stiffness. With the average particle spacing of roll-type polishing as the constraint, the comprehensive characteristics of structural stiffness, kinematic range, and natural frequency are realized. Thus, to reduce the surface roughness, the removal of simple-directional surface textures generated by roll-type polishing can be achieved. First, the asymmetric structure is designed, modeled, and optimized according to working performance design goals of roll-type polishing. Then, the finite element analysis and actual performance test of the stage are carried out to verify the accuracy of the established model and the effectiveness of the optimization design. The results indicate that the stage can meet the design index. Finally, the asymmetric vibration-assisted polishing experiment is carried out. The results show that the single-directional surface textures of the SiC surface are interrupted and the surface roughness is decreased.

Development of Piezo-Actuated Two-Degree-of-Freedom Fast Tool Servo System.

Fast tool servo (FTS) machining technology is a promising method for freeform surfaces and machining micro-nanostructure surfaces. However, limited degrees of freedom (DOF) is an inherent drawback of existing FTS technologies. In this paper, a piezo-actuated serial structure FTS system is developed to obtain translational motions along with z and x-axis directions for ultra-precision machining. In addition, the principle of the developed 2-DOF FTS is introduced and explained. A high-rigidity four-bar (HRFB) mechanism is proposed to produce motion along the z-axis direction. Additionally, through a micro-rotation motion around flexible bearing hinges (FBHs), bi-directional motions along the x-axis direction can be produced. The kinematics of the mechanism are described using a matrix-based compliance modeling (MCM) method, and then the static analysis and dynamic analysis are performed using finite element analysis (FEA). Testing experiments were conducted to investigate the actual performance of the developed system. The results show that low coupling, proper travel, and high natural frequency are obtained. Finally, a sinusoidal wavy surface is uniformly generated by the mechanism developed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the FTS system.

Analytical Prediction of Subsurface Damages and Surface Quality in Vibration-Assisted Polishing Process of Silicon Carbide Ceramics.

Subsurface damages and surface roughness are two significant parameters which determine the performance of silicon carbide (SiC) ceramics. Subsurface damages (SSD) induced by conventional polishing could seriously affect the service life of the workpiece. To address this problem, vibration-assisted polishing (VAP) was developed to machine hard and brittle materials, because the vibration-assisted machine (VAM) can increase the critical cutting depth to improve the surface integrity of materials. In this paper, a two-dimensional (2D) VAM system is used to polish SiC ceramics. Moreover, a theoretical SSD model is constructed to predict the SSD. Furthermore, finite element simulation (FEM) is adopted to analyze the effects of different VAP parameters on SSD. Finally, a series of scratches and VAP experiments are conducted on the independent precision polishing machine to investigate the effects of polishing parameters on brittle-ductile transition and SSD.