Hybrid simultaneous laser- and ultrasonic-assisted machining of Ti-6Al-4V alloy

The machinability of Ti-6Al-4V alloy has been a constant challenge in the industry, although the material is widely used in the aerospace and medical industries due to its mechanical properties, particularly its strength-to-weight ratio. The current research presents a hybrid laser- and ultrasonic-assisted machining (LUAM) technique to improve the machinability of Ti-6Al-4V alloy in a turning process. This is compared with ultrasonic-assisted machining (UAM), laser-assisted machining (LAM), and convectional turning (CT). The results reveal that UAM and LAM can reduce the cutting forces and surface roughness (Ra) compared to the CT. However, these are achieved mainly at the lowest range of cutting speeds. The hybrid LUAM process demonstrates process improvement with wider range of cutting speeds and depths of cut, which is achieved due to the combined force reduction and thermal softening effect by the hybrid process.