Processing performance and regular of 6061 aluminum alloy by longitudinal-torsional ultrasonic milling

Abstract The application of ultrasonic vibration-assisted cutting in machining is also increasing. In order to provide practical guidelines for industrial applications, a single-factor experimental method was employed to compare the surface morphology and surface roughness of 6061 aluminum alloy processed by longitudinal-torsional ultrasonic machining and conventional machining in end milling and side milling. The influence of ultrasonic amplitude on surface quality was systematically analyzed. The experimental results indicate that the surface morphology of both longitudinal-torsional ultrasonic end milling and side milling exhibit similar regular fish-scale-like textures. In contrast, the surface of conventional end milling exhibited arc-shaped concave-convex scratches, while the surface morphology of conventional side milling displayed irregular wavy textures. The surface roughness of longitudinal-torsional ultrasonic end milling is higher than that of conventional end milling, whereas the surface roughness of longitudinal-torsional ultrasonic side milling is lower than that of conventional side milling. Overall, the surface quality achieved through ultrasonic side milling is superior to that of conventional side milling.