Title: Rotary ultrasonic machining of ZrO₂-NbC and ZrO₂-WC ceramics

Authors: Alejandro Sandá; Carmen Sanz

Addresses: Advanced Manufacturing Technology Unit, IK4-TEKNIKER, 20600 Eibar, Spain ' Advanced Manufacturing Technology Unit, IK4-TEKNIKER, 20600 Eibar, Spain

Abstract: ZrO₂-based ceramics are extremely difficult to manufacture, rotary ultrasonic machining (RUM) being an interesting machining process for these materials. In this work, ZrO₂-NbC and ZrO₂-WC ceramic composites have been RUM-processed and the differences in cutting forces, surface quality and dominant machining mechanisms under different machining operations and conditions have been studied. In ZrO₂-NbC, the presence of the ductile fracture material removal mode is more evident than in ZrO₂-WC, where the brittle fracture mode seems to be dominant. This contributes to a slightly better machinability of ZrO₂-NbC compared to ZrO₂-WC, what results in slightly higher material removal rates (MRR) and lower surface roughness.

Keywords: rotary ultrasonic machining; RUM; ZrO₂-NbC; ZrO₂-WC; ceramic; machinability.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMMM.2020.105666

International Journal of Machining and Machinability of Materials, 2020 Vol.22 No.2, pp.165 - 179

Received: 26 Sep 2018
Accepted: 16 Jan 2019
Published online: 09 Mar 2020 *

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