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Several difficulties are faced in joining thinner sheets of similar and dissimilar materials from fusion welding processes such as resistance welding and laser welding. Ultrasonic metal welding overcomes many of these difficulties by using high frequency vibration and applied pressure to create a solid-state weld. Ultrasonic metal welding is an effective technique in joining small components, such as in wire bonding, but is also capable of joining thicker sheet, depending on the control of welding conditions. This study presents the design, characterisation and test of a lateral-drive ultrasonic metal welding device. The ultrasonic welding horn is modelled using finite element analysis and its vibration behaviour is characterised experimentally to ensure ultrasonic energy is delivered to the weld coupon. The welding stack and fixtures are then designed and mounted on a test machine to allow a series of experiments to be conducted for various welding and ultrasonic parameters. Weld strength is subsequently analysed using tensile-shear tests. Control of the vibration amplitude profile through the weld cycle is used to enhance weld strength and quality, providing an opportunity to reduce part marking. Optical microscopic examination and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were employed to investigate the weld quality. The results show how the weld quality is particularly sensitive to the combination of clamping force and vibration amplitude of the welding tip.

A Class V cymbal flextensional transducer is composed of a piezoceramic disc or ring sandwiched between two cymbal-shaped shell end-caps. These end-caps act as mechanical transformers to convert high impedance, low radial displacement of the piezoceramic into low impedance, large axial motion of the end-cap. The cymbal transducer was developed in the early 1990's at Penn State University, and is an improvement of the moonie transducer which has been in use since the 1980's. Despite the fact that cymbal transducers have been used in many fields, both as sensors and actuators, due to its physical limitations its use has been mainly at low power intensities. It is only very recently that its suitability for high amplitude and high power applications has been studied, and consequently implementation in this area of research remains undeveloped. This paper employs experimental modal analysis (EMA), vibration response measurements and electrical impedance measurements to characterise two variations of the cymbal transducer design, both aimed at incorporation in ultrasonic cutting devices. The transducers are fabricated using the commercial Eccobond 45LV epoxy adhesive as the bonding agent. The first cymbal transducer is of the classic design where the piezoceramic disc is bonded directly to the end-caps. The second cymbal transducer includes a metal ring bonded to the outer edge of the piezoceramic disc. The reason for the inclusion of this metal ring is to improve the mechanical coupling with the end-caps. This would therefore make this design particularly suitable for power ultrasonic applications, reducing the possibility of debonding at the higher ultrasonic amplitudes. The experimental results demonstrate that the second cymbal design is a significant improvement on the more classic design, allowing the transducer to operate at higher voltages and higher amplitudes, exhibiting a linear response over a practical power ultrasonic device driving voltage range. The results also show that the device can be accurately tuned using finite element modelling and that the cymbal exhibits a modal response as predicted by the finite element models.

Since the 1950's researchers have carried out investigations into the effects of applying ultrasonic excitation to metals undergoing elastic and plastic deformation. Experiments have been conducted where ultrasonic excitation is superimposed in complex metalworking operations such as wire drawing and extrusion, to identify the benefits of ultrasonic vibrations. This study presents a finite element analysis of ultrasonic excitation applied to the extrusion of a cylindrical aluminium bar. The effects of friction on the extrusion load are reported for the two excitation configurations of radially and axially applied ultrasonic vibrations and the results are compared with experimental data reported in the literature.