Advanced Manufacturing of Titanium Alloy Ti-6Al-4V by Combining Cryogenic Machining and Ultrasonic-Assisted Turning

Cryogenic and ultrasonic-assisted turning have both beneficial effects on the machinability of difficult-to-machine materials, such as titanium alloy Ti-6Al-4V. This research investigates the effect of combining both cryogenic and ultrasonic-assisted machining, to assess the effects on cutting temperature, forces and tool wear. The research utilizes FEM and CFD models to provide a better understanding of the interaction between the mechanisms at work during the machining process-namely the ultrasonic motion of the tool and the cryogenic impingement of the tool. The experimentation is then conducted to prove the effectiveness of combining both methods in reducing the cutting forces and reducing tool wear. The combined process is compared to conventional turning, cryogenic turning and ultrasonic-assisted turning. The CFD and FEM results showed a decrease in tool and chip temperature by 7.26% and 13.86%, respectively, when compared to UAT. The cutting forces in the combined turning show a reduction of 22% when compared to conventional turning. Tool wear is analyzed for the 4 cases. Tool wear caused by adhesion is shown to decrease in the new combined cutting method. This research has scientific as well as potential industrial applications in the machining of difficult-to-machine materials.