As an emerging rapid prototyping technology, Ultrasonic Consolidation (UC) has
been used to successfully fabricate metal matrix composites (MMC). The intent of this
study is to identify the optimum combination of processing parameters, including
oscillation amplitude, welding speed, normal force, operating temperature and fiber
orientation, for manufacture of long fiber-reinforced MMCs. The experiments were
designed using the Taguchi method, and an L25 orthogonal array was utilized to
determine the influences of each parameter. SiC fibers of 0.1mm diameter were
successfully embedded into an Al 3003 metal matrix. Two methods were employed to
characterize the bonding between the fiber and matrix material: optical/electron
microscopy and push-out tests monitored by an acoustic emission (AE) sensor. SEM
images and data from push-out tests were analyzed and optimum combinations of
parameters were achieved.Mechanical Engineerin