Rotary ultrasonic machining of rocks: An experimental investigation

Abstract

Rock drilling is widely used to explore and mine energy resources. It has also been used to extract samples to study the earth's geological composition and topography and to explore different planets. Percussive drilling is, as of right now, the most commonly used rock drilling method. Due to the high hardness and abrasiveness of rock, tool wear in rock drilling is severe, thus limiting its penetration rate and resulting in high cost. Therefore, it is crucial to develop more costeffective rock drilling processes. Rotary ultrasonic machining has been used to drill many materials including metal alloys, ceramics, and composites, and its cost advantages have been demonstrated in many previous studies. This article presents the first experimental investigation of rotary ultrasonic machining of rocks. Three types of rocks (basalt, marble, and travertine) were used. Six input variables (tool rotation speed, feedrate, ultrasonic power, abrasive size, abrasive concentration, and drill bit diameter) were examined and two output variables (cutting force and surface roughness) were measured. Results indicate that rotary ultrasonic machining can drill holes of high quality on rocks of different hardness with a much lower cutting force and at a penetration rate of approximately three times faster than percussive drilling.

Microcrack Growth Properties of Granite under Ultrasonic High‐Frequency Excitation

“…Using ultrasonic vibration technology to break hard rock is a new method in the field of geological exploration [1]. Vibration can promote the development of cracks, reduce the strength, and cause damage to the rock.…”

“…It is found that an introduction of highfrequency axial vibration significantly enhances drilling rates compared to the traditional rotary type method and the material removal rate (MRR) as a function of static load has at least one maximum. Fernando et al [1] selected basalt, marble, and travertine as the research objects to carry out ultrasonic drilling test. e results indicate that rotary ultrasonic machining can drill holes of high quality on rocks of different hardness with a much lower cutting force and at a penetration rate of approximately three times faster than percussive.…”

Multi-Response Optimization of Processing Parameters for Micro-Pockets on Alumina Bioceramic Using Rotary Ultrasonic Machining

“…Note that the vibration frequency produced by the piezoelectric transducers of the used DMG ultrasonic spindle ranges between 17.5 and 48 kHz. Regarding the amplitude, it is a common practice in the RUM to express the vibration amplitude as a percentage of the ultrasonic power [ 21 , 39 , 40 ]. However, in this study, the relationship between the ultrasonic power and the vibration amplitude has been taken from the previous literature by Abdo et al [ 25 ].…”

A finishing process via ultrasonic drilling for additively manufactured carbon fiber composites

“…This vibration is then transmitted through an assembly of horn and tool. RUM on the other hand involves a tool which simultaneously vibrated and rotated, reducing out-of-roundness compared to conventional ultrasonic machining (Fernando et al, 2018;Singh and Singhal, 2016;Singh and Singhal, 2017;Thoe et al, 1998). The feasibility of RUM in drilling CFRPs has been already verified in several works with reduced tool wear, higher surface quality, decreased delamination and improved chip-removal rate relative to conventional drilling.…”