Feasibility study on machining extra-large aspect ratio aviation deep-hole Ti6Al4V part with axial ultrasonic vibration-assisted boring

TLDR: In this article, the axial ultrasonic vibration-assisted boring (AUVB) method has been used for aviation deep-hole machining and the results demonstrate that AUVB has obvious advantages in reducing boring force, improving boring accuracy, suppressing vibration and promoting surface quality.

Abstract: Deep-holes are typical parts of aircraft structures, which is difficult to be machined. Boring assisted with ultrasonic vibration-assisted cutting has been proved to greatly enhance machining performance, especially for Ti6Al4V aviation alloy. This paper focuses on the machining extra-large aspect ratio (exceeding 20) of Ti6Al4V aviation deep-hole with the axial ultrasonic vibration-assisted boring (AUVB) method. First, the kinetics of the AUVB process is analyzed and a retrospective of its separation cutting feature is provided. Subsequently, a multi-stepped cantilever beam model of boring bar is established to analyze its static rigidity and dynamic stability. The aperture error is deduced, and then size coefficient is put forward to represent the static rigidity of the boring bar, which is inversely proportional to the diameter. In addition, two different vibration cases, namely modal-coupling vibration and regenerative vibration are considered for dynamic stability analysis. Next, the morphology of bored surface is analyzed, and the geometric height of peaks formed by AUVB and CB are calculated. Phase shift φ= π is suggested for obtaining a better surface in AUVB. Finally, the feasibility of AUVB on the machining of extra-large aspect ratio Ti6Al4V titanium alloy aviation deep-hole is verified through systematic experiments. Results demonstrate that AUVB has obvious advantages in reducing boring force, improving boring accuracy, suppressing vibration and promoting surface quality. Furthermore, the aperture error decreases to 50% and vibration amplitudes decrease to only 20–25%. The overall surface roughness of the deep-hole part stays below Ra=0.8μm with rotational speeds of 60r/min and 80r/min, and the surface residual stress state is transferred from the tensile state to a compressive one. As a result, not only AUVB can provide better boring accuracy and surface finish, but it also can enhance the surface fatigue properties.