Material removal characterization during axial ultrasonic vibration grinding SiCp/Al composites with a single diamond grain

Silicon carbide particle-reinforced aluminum matrix composites (SiCp/Al) have found extensive use in electronic packaging, aircraft manufacturing, and various other industries due to their exceptional strength, low density, and high wear resistance. Nevertheless, owing to the multiphase microstructure resulting from SiC particles embedded in an Al matrix, the presence of non-ideal regions within the material poses a significant challenge in achieving high surface integrity. Ultrasonic vibration-assisted grinding (UVAG) has been proven to be an effective machining technique for improving the machinability of reinforced particles. The axial ultrasonic vibration grinding with a single diamond grain was conducted to realize the material removal mechanism of SiCp/Al composites. Furthermore, a 3D model of diamond grains with a cohesive force unit was constructed to simulate the material removal evolution of SiC particles under UVAG. Results demonstrate that the utilization of ultrasonic vibration-assisted grinding facilitates the plastic-like removal of hard particles and promotes the transformation of brittle SiC material removal into a plasticized form. UVAG could effectively mitigate the occurrence of pit formation caused by SiC particles, which would otherwise result from extensive crushing and detachment during the conventional grinding process, thus, enhancing the integrity of the machined surface.