vibromilling

Vibromilling, or vibration-assisted milling, is a material processing technique in which a high-frequency, low-amplitude oscillation is superimposed on the milling motion. The tool or workpiece is driven by an actuator—often an ultrasonic transducer or a specially designed milling head—that imposes a lateral or normal vibration during cutting. The resulting intermittent contact and rapid acceleration reduce cutting forces, alter chip formation, and can improve surface integrity, especially for hard, brittle, or heat-sensitive materials.

Typical setups use a conventional milling machine equipped with a vibration module. Frequencies are commonly in the tens of kilohertz, and vibration amplitudes range from a few micrometers to tens of micrometers. Feed and spindle speed are adjusted to maintain stable cutting. The technique is used for micromachining and finishing, enabling milling of ceramics, hardened steels, composites, and other brittle materials. It can also be applied to micro-texturing and surface finish improvements on metals.

Advantages of vibromilling include reduced tool wear in certain materials, lower peak cutting forces, better surface finish, smaller burr formation, and improved chip control. Limitations include higher equipment cost and complexity, potential thermal effects from rapid impacts, and a more limited range of materials and geometries that benefit from the method. Successful implementation requires careful tuning of frequency, amplitude, and phase relative to the milling motion, along with consideration of safety concerns related to vibration and noise.