Ultrasonic vibration-assisted machining in aerospace composite materials: Principle, technology, challenges

Advanced composite materials are widely used in key aerospace components due to the excellent characteristics of exceptional strength-to-weight ratios, corrosion resistance, fatigue resistance, etc. Conventional machining (CM) easily causes surface defects due to the uncontrolled material tear and severe thermal–mechanical loads. Ultrasonic vibration-assisted machining (UVAM) by introducing periodic high-frequency separation results in surface defects suppression, thermal damage reduction decreasing, and tool wear decreasing. This work reviews the frontier progress and innovation trends of the UVAM aerospace composite materials, involving the equipment and technology innovation, the characteristics and theory, and the material removal mechanisms. Firstly, the equipment and motion trajectory analysis of UVAM are systematically reviewed, involving the one-dimensional, the two-dimensional, and the three-dimensional UVAM with trajectory evaluations. Secondly, the advantaged characteristics of UVAM are analyzed, involving the intermittent contact, the multi-stage elastic–plastic deformation, the shear sharpening impact, and the friction reverse. Then, the dynamic time-varying evolution of the multi-physical fields are discussed including the heat generation/transfer, the stress, and the strain during UVAM composite materials. Subsequently, the influence mechanisms and response consequences for UVAM composite materials are analyzed involving tool wear, chip formation, and surface quality. Ultimately, the key points of UVAM technology in terms of theory, characteristics, mechanism and application are summarized and the frontier challenges and future pathways toward high-efficiency/high-precision UVAM are mapped to guide next-generation aerospace manufacturing. This review provides important reference for engineering applications for UVAM aerospace composites.