| EPSRC Reference: |
EP/D506344/1 |
| Title: |
Purchase Variable Frequency Ultrasonic Generator to tune frequency to material to enable all materials to be cut ultrasonically |
| Principal Investigator: |
Atkins, Professor AG |
| Other Investigators: |
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| Researcher Co-Investigators: |
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| Project Partners: |
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| Department: |
Construction Management and Eng |
| Organisation: |
University of Reading |
| Scheme: |
Standard Research (Pre-FEC) |
| Starts: |
01 January 2006 |
Ends: |
31 December 2008 |
Value (£): |
12,279
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| EPSRC Research Topic Classifications: |
| Eng. Dynamics & Tribology |
Materials testing & eng. |
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| EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications: |
| No relevance to Underpinning Sectors |
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| Panel History: |
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Summary on Grant Application Form |
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Why is it easier to cut materials in the kitchen or at the dinner table with a knife when the knife is moved back and forth and well as pushed down ? The answer is that energy or work is provided by the sideways action, so that not as much force is required vertically. But, as common experience shows, the effect is disproportinate and it has recently been proved (by the proposer in J.Mater.Sci 2004, vol 39, p2761) that even the slightest sideways motion produces a rapid decrease in the vertical force, and that the effect is not produced by changes in friction alone.What about the speed of sideways motion? The faster you go, the lower the forces (both horizontally and vertically). When the blade is vibrated ultrasonically , (amazingly rapidly), the forces can be very small indeed. However some materials are difficult or impossible to cut ultrasonically. While ultrasonic cutting is excellent for silicon rubber, it is no good at all with natural rubber; and in the case of foods, for example, neither unmature cheese which is hard and rubbery, nor soft products having a tough skin, nor fibrous products like meat benefit from ultrasonic cutting. At present, commerical ultrasonic cutters operate at one of only two frequencies (21 kHz or 35kHz) because they use existing generators employed in u/s welding and u/s cleaning. There is no reason to believe that the two frequencies presently used are the best for all materials. Being able to vary the frequency to suit different materials would, we believe, enable all materials to be cut ultrasonically. The benefits of good surface finish, small micro/macro structural defects, and energy-efficient cutting will be available to a much wider range of materials in more fields than at present.
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Key Findings |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Potential use in non-academic contexts |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Impacts |
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| Description |
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk |
| Summary |
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| Date Materialised |
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Sectors submitted by the Researcher |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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| Project URL: |
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| Further Information: |
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| Organisation Website: |
http://www.rdg.ac.uk |