Functional design of sonotrodes for deep-drawing of cardboard

The functional design of ultrasonic sonotrodes for deep-drawing is considered. The achievable stability, shape deviation, and surface roughness of deep-drawn cups were determined as a function of the vibration mode, the vibration amplitude, and the contact pressure as it occurs in the gap between the tools. Because the development of sonotrodes is complex and expensive, substitute experiments were conducted that allowed the cup parameters to be determined even without the manufacture of numerous sonotrodes, thus minimizing the effort involved. The results showed that the vibration mode, which determines the angle at which the vibration hits the material surface, is the most important influencing factor. The best way to increase stability and reduce shape deviation and surface roughness is to use an oscillation that hits the material surface perpendicularly during the entire deep-drawing process. With perpendicular vibration, the strength of the cup wall increased up to 200% compared to the one produced without ultrasound. The surface roughness could be reduced to 50% with the vertical vibration compared to without ultrasonic support.