Design and characterisation of ultrasonic cutting tools

Cutting of food products and other materials with ultrasonically assisted tools has demonstrated significant benefits including reduced wastage and improved cut quality. However, the success of the technology relies on careful design of the ultrasonically excited tools and transmission components. In this paper, the different challenges of tool design are discussed with reference to two cutting devices. The studies demonstrate that accurate characterisation of the vibration behaviour of the tool and an understanding of the effects and limitations on vibration responses of design modifications, allows tool performance to be enhanced in the design