Method and assembly for slurry delivery and utilization during ultrasonic impact grinding
AssigneeRtx Corporation
InventorsAhmed Abdillahi Abdi, Andrew Joseph Lazur
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An ultrasonic impact grinding assembly includes a vessel having an open top disposed opposite a base and configured to contain an abrasive slurry, at least one mixing mechanism disposed in the vessel, a fixture disposed on the base of the vessel and configured to retain a workpiece for ultrasonic impact grinding within the abrasive slurry, and an ultrasonic impact grinding machine having a tool tip disposed to contact the abrasive slurry in the vessel during an ultrasonic impact grinding operation.
Claims17
An ultrasonic impact grinding assembly comprising:
- a vessel configured to contain an abrasive slurry, the vessel having an open top disposed opposite a base;
- at least one mixing mechanism disposed in the vessel, the at least one mixing mechanism configured to agitate the abrasive slurry to maintain abrasive particles in suspension;
- a fixture disposed on the base, the fixture configured to retain a workpiece for ultrasonic impact grinding within the abrasive slurry;
- an ultrasonic impact grinding machine having a tool tip disposed to contact the abrasive slurry in the vessel during an ultrasonic impact grinding operation to remove material from the workpiece, the tool tip having a shape configured to form a hole or slot in a machining surface of the workpiece via ultrasonic impact grinding, wherein the ultrasonic impact grinding machine is configured to move the tool tip relative to the workpiece to increase a depth or size of the hole or slot;
- and
- an actuating platform connected to the vessel configured to rotate the vessel about at least two different axes to tilt and turn the vessel and workpiece relative to the tool tip.
A method for machining a ceramic workpiece, the method comprising:
- submerging a first machining surface of the ceramic workpiece in an abrasive slurry contained in a vessel having an open top;
- fixing the ceramic workpiece to a base of the vessel;
- positioning a tip of an ultrasonic impact grinding machine in proximity with the first machining surface and into contact with the abrasive slurry;
- applying ultrasonic vibration to the tip to remove material from the first machining surface of the ceramic workpiece to form a feature in the ceramic workpiece of a desired geometry;
- agitating the abrasive slurry with a mixing mechanism disposed in the abrasive slurry to maintain abrasive particles in suspension;
- advancing the tip into the ceramic workpiece or along the ceramic workpiece to increase a depth or size of feature of desired geometry formed in the ceramic workpiece via ultrasonic impact grinding;
- moving the tip and/or the ceramic workpiece to position the tip in proximity with a second machining surface submerged in the abrasive slurry;
- and
- rotating the vessel about at least two different axes to tilt and turn the vessel and ceramic workpiece relative to the tip.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.