Machining Tough Ceramic Materials

Ceramic materials such as aluminum oxide (alumina) and silicon nitride possess many beneficial qualities: extreme toughness, the ability to withstand high temperatures, and resistance to chemical corrosion, just to name a few. Unfortunately, those same properties also present manufacturing challenges that can be difficult to overcome without the appropriate technology. Thorough testing has shown how using OptiSonic ultrasonic machining technology can increase the manufacturing efficiency of ceramic materials. In some cases, cycle times were reduced by 50% or more when compared to standard CNC machining.