Ultrasonic vibration-assisted grinding of micro-structured surfaces on silicon carbide ceramic materials

Precision grinding of silicon carbide ceramic micro-structured moulds is becoming more common in the area of the moulding of glass materials. However, in micro-structured grinding of super-hard and brittle materials, problems frequently occur in terms of chipping and rounding of micro-structural edge features. In order to overcome these technological constraints, a promising method using ultrasonic vibration of workpiece materials is proposed. The design of a novel ultrasonic vibration apparatus and the experimental investigation of ultrasonic vibration assisted grinding of SiC micro-structures are presented. The experimental results show that the application of ultrasonic vibration can enhance the ground surface quality and improve the edge features of micro-structures.