Research on tool wear and surface quality in laser-assisted ultrasonic elliptical vibration cutting of cemented carbide

The Laser-ultrasonic elliptical vibration cutting (LA-UEVC) method was introduced for machining challenging cemented carbide. The machining parameters were estimated through numerical simulation, and the cutting forces, the tool wear and the workpiece surface quality were analyzed and investigated. Compared to precision cutting, during LA-UEVC of cemented carbide, the main cutting force and the cutting radial thrust force were reduced by 44.3% and 31.2%, respectively. Moreover, the tool wear decreased, which led to an increase in tool life by 118.8%, and a maximum reduction of 89.7% of Workpiece surface roughness was received. The impact of laser power and cutting parameters on surface roughness was analyzed through orthogonal experiments, and a surface roughness prediction model was established using a quadratic regression model.