Modeling and Control of Piezoelectric Ultrasonic Actuator in Ultrasonically Assisted Machining

Ultrasonically Assisted Machining (UAM) is an emerging technology that has proven to be very efficient in improving the surface finishing in material machining such as turning, milling, and drilling. Smart material actuators are used in such applications to vibrate the cutting tip while machining, hence, improving the manipulated surface. The advantages of adopting such technology include: (1) considerable decrease in cutting forces and tool wear (2) improvement of finishing quality by up to 50%, (3) processing of a wide range of materials including hard alloys and difficult-to-machine special composites. However, controlling the amplitude and frequency of these smart actuators is a tedious and difficult task. This is due to the inherent nonlinearities associated with smart materials. Therefore, this research project aims at developing a robust control system that uses position and frequency feedback. In order to achieve this, a nonlinear model is required to be developed in order to mimic the nonlinearity of the real system.