Fundamental experiments as benchmark problems for modeling ultrasonic micro-impact processes

Many ultrasonic processes are based on the mechanical contact of oscillating parts. Within ultrasonic machining (drilling, milling, grinding) micro impacts lead to abrasion at the processed workpiece and hopefully do not damage the tool. In ultrasonic motors ideally neither part gets worn. Thus the appropriate design of contact partners as well as their kinematics is a substantial task during the development of such devices. A first step to optimize contact mechanics is to understand their behavior and dependencies on parameter variations, such as vibration amplitude and pre-stress of the impacting parts. For a detailed understanding models validated with convincing experimental data from measurements are absolutely essential. This paper focuses on simple vibro-impact experiments which can be used as benchmark data for future models. The setup of the experiment and first experimental investigations are described in detail.