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Description
Vibration-assisted machining (VAM) leverages intermittent cutting induced by a vibrated tool. The vibrations are often improved by employing flexure hinges to enhance the vibration transfer from actuator to the tooltip within the VAM module. Notch hinges, among the various flexure hinge types, are the most widely employed hinges due to their proven capabilities and ease of manufacturing. This study employed finite element simulations to analyze the influence of notch hinge design parameters (radius, wall thickness, and hinge thickness) on tool-tip deflection and hinge stress. A full factorial design with five levels for each parameter was implemented. Larger notch radii increased tool deflection, while thicker walls and hinges had the opposite effect. Induced stress remained minimally affected by hinge thickness but significantly decreased (≈ -30%) with larger radii. Grey relational analysis identified the optimal design combination in the current investigation as a notch with a 3 mm radius, 2 mm wall thickness, and 16 mm hinge thickness. This configuration achieved a simulated maximum tool deflection of 1.95 μm and a stress of 64.3 MPa. These findings may contribute to a deeper understanding of notch hinge design for VAM applications, potentially leading to wider adoption of this machining technique across various industries.
