Numerical simulation and experimental study for ultrasonic vibration-assisted drilling of SiCp/AL6063

Thrust force and metal chips are essential focuses in SiCp/AL6063 drilling operations. Compared with conventional drilling (CD), the ultrasonic vibration-assisted drilling (UVAD) has attractive advantages: for instance, short chips, small cutting forces, etc. However, the mechanism of UVAD is still inadequate, especially in the thrust force prediction model and numerical simulation. In this study, a mathematical prediction model considering the ultrasonic vibration of the drill is established to calculate the thrust force of UVAD. A 3D finite element model (FEM) for the thrust force and chip morphology analysis is subsequently researched based on ABAQUS software. Finally, experiments of CD and UVAD of SiCp/Al6063 are performed. The results show that when the feed rate reaches 151.6 mm/min, the thrust force of UVAD decreases to 66.1 N, and width of the chip decreases to 228 um. As a result, the errors of the mathematical prediction and 3D FEM model of UVAD are about 12.1 and 17.4% for the thrust force, and the errors of the CD and UVAD of SiCp/Al6063 are 3.5 and 11.4% for the chip width, respectively. Compared with the CD, UVAD could reduce the thrust force and improve chip evacuation effectively.