Effect of Vibration Behavior in Low-Frequency Vibration Cutting on Surface Properties of Workpiece

　The objective of this study was to determine the effect of vibration behavior on workpiece surface properties in low-frequency vibration cutting. The effects of the parameters that determine vibration behavior on surface roughness were quantitatively evaluated through a comparison with other cutting conditions. Furthermore, by clarifying how the surface properties of the workpiece, such as roughness, roundness, and cross-sectional curves, change depending on the vibration behavior, a search for optimal conditions for low-frequency vibration cutting was conducted. The best surface properties were obtained under the condition of spindle rotation per vibration E=4.5. By using a value close to the minimum possible spindle rotation R=0.5 when the workpiece is retracted, it is expected to be effective in suppressing the variation in surface roughness at each phase angle; this variation is characteristic of low-frequency vibration cutting. Workpieces machined under low-frequency vibration conditions such as (E=2.5, R=1.0) and (E=3.5, R=1.0) were found to form characteristic surface patterns on the workpiece surface owing to a phenomenon in which the depth of the cut to the workpiece changes.