Development of a Long-Stroke Vibration-assisted Actuator

Abstract

Finishing by polishing is an economic challenge in the industrial environment of brittle and hard materials. Hybrid process designs with a geometrically undefined cutting edge at the end of the machining chain are a viable option. The machining of free-form functional surfaces places high demands on the roughness and shape accuracy of the surfaces to be machined. In industrial practice, this task is usually accomplished by a multi-stage polishing process. Vibrations in the frequency range of several kilohertz are standard for the machining processes. The abrasive grains are embedded in a flexible bonding matrix and are provided for the process by a rotationally symmetrical carrier body with high radial stiffness at the coupling point to the tool holder. Below ultrasonic frequencies, especially below 300 Hz, there are no rotating polishing systems for machining hard and brittle materials.