Ultrasonic vibration has been employed to assist in turning, introducing intermittent machining to reduce average cutting force, minimize tool wear, and enhance machining efficiency, thereby improving surface roughness. However, achieving intermittent cutting necessitates specific conditions, with a cutting speed or feed rate falling below the critical speed associated with the ultrasonic vibration parameters. This study presents a theoretical model for surface formation in cutting-speed-direction ultrasonic-assisted turning (CUAT), covering both continuous and intermittent machining regimes. Experimental validation was conducted on C45 carbon steel and 201 stainless steel to demonstrate the applicability of the theoretical model across different materials. Digital microscope analysis revealed 3D topography consistency with the theoretical formula. Surface roughness evaluations were performed for both CUAT and CT (conventional turning) methods. The results indicated a significant reduction in roughness Ra for C45 steel samples machined with CUAT, up to 80% compared to CT at a cutting speed of 20 m/min, while only exhibiting slight fluctuations when turning 201 stainless steel. Detailed analysis and explanation of these phenomena are presented herein.

In this paper, a novel, compact, and high-precision axial error measurement using a frequency-modulated interferometer is developed. Normally, heterodyne interferometers are a powerful system for small displacement measurements due to their property of being less sensitive to temperature and pressure variations. However, the maximum measurement speed of the heterodyne interferometer is around 5 m/s because it is usually limited by the difference in frequency between the two components of the laser beam, which is no larger than 3 MHz or 20 MHz corresponding laser source based on the Zeeman effect and acousto-optic modulator, respectively. The proposed measuring system is realized by modulating the frequency of the laser diode source at a high modulation frequency and using lock-in amplifiers to extract the harmonics of the interference signal. The measurement speed is proportional to the modulation frequency. Thus, the higher the modulation frequency, the higher the measuring speed attains. The frequency-modulated interferometer is then applied to measure the axial error of an ultra-precision spindle. The proposed system can be a capable solution for noncontact and high-precision spindle error measurements in the machining process.

This study investigates the effect of ultrasonic vibration applied in the cutting speed direction on surface quality during face turning of C45 steel. The experiments were performed using an ultrasonic generator operating at a frequency of 20 kHz with an amplitude of approximately 10 µm. The cutting parameters used in the experiments included spindle speeds of 700, 1100, and 1300 rpm, feed rates of 0.1 and 0.15 mm/rev, while the depth of cut was fixed at 0.2 mm. Surface quality was evaluated based on the roughness parameters R_a and R_z, as well as surface topography was observed using a Keyence VHX-7000 digital microscope. The results show that ultrasonic-assisted face turning (UAFT) significantly improves surface finish, particularly in the central region of the workpiece where the cutting speed is lower and built-up edge (BUE) formation is more likely. The lowest R_a value recorded was 0.91 µm, representing a 71% reduction compared to conventional turning (CT). Furthermore, at the highest spindle speed (1300 rpm), the standard deviations of both R_a and R_z were minimal, indicating improved surface consistency due to the suppression of BUE by ultrasonic vibration. Topographical observations further confirmed that UAFT generated regular and periodic surface patterns, in contrast to the irregular textures observed in CT.