Introduction and Advantages of Ultrasonic Plastic Cutting Knife
There is almost no controversy about the method of cutting wood. However, cutting plastics (especially acrylic and polycarbonate) is completely different. Due to various reasons, plastic cutting may have many issues with the fabric. Firstly, unless you take appropriate precautions, certain plastics may melt during the cutting process. Additionally, the surface of plastic is prone to scratching and sometimes requires polishing of the edges upon completion of the project. The traditional plastic cutting method may have the above-mentioned problems in plastic cutting.
The principle of ultrasonic cutting is significantly different from traditional mechanical cutting methods. It uses the energy of ultrasonic waves to heat and melt the plastic surface, thereby cutting the plastic material apart. Therefore, ultrasonic cutting does not require sharp cutting edges or significant pressure, which will not cause fracture or damage to the blade portion in contact with the material. Meanwhile, due to the ultrasonic vibration of the cutting tool, the frictional resistance is very low, and the material after cutting is not easily adhered to the blade. This is particularly effective for cutting viscous and elastic materials (such as food, rubber, etc.) or objects that are difficult to apply pressure on.
Plastic is a synthetic or manufactured material formed by combining two or more of six chemical elements into a polymer. Polymers or resins are chemical compounds or mixtures of compounds formed through polymerization reactions, which are chemical reactions in which two or more molecules combine to form larger substance molecules.
There are two basic types of polymers: thermosetting and thermoplastic. Ultrasonic plastic cutting knives are suitable for cutting thermoplastic products. Thermosetting plastics undergo irreversible molecular changes during processing, permanently becoming insoluble and melting. They cannot melt or transform in their final state. Thermosetting plastics are hard and fragile substances that degrade when subjected to strong heat. Therefore, thermosetting plastics are not suitable for ultrasonic assembly. Thermoplastic becomes softer when heated and harder when cooled, and can be reheated and reshaped. Due to the fact that the ultrasonic assembly process depends on the softening ability of the material, thermoplastic is very suitable for ultrasonic assembly.
Polymer molecules are long chains, with a length that is 500 to 10000 times greater than their thickness. The molecular structure of thermoplastic determines its physical properties as well as its melting and welding characteristics. The molecular structure of thermoplastic can be classified as amorphous or semi crystalline. The random arrangement of molecules in amorphous thermoplastic. On the contrary, semi crystalline molecules have a very ordered and repetitive structure. The main amorphous thermoplastic materials include ABS, styrene, acrylic acid, PVC, and polycarbonate. The main semi crystalline thermoplastic materials include formaldehyde, nylon (polyamide), polyester, polyethylene, polypropylene, and fluoropolymers. Amorphous materials do not have a specified melting point. After heating, they transform from a rigid state (through glass transition) to an rubbery state, and then flow in their true molten state, gradually becoming softer. Curing is also gradual.
Advantages of ultrasonic cutting:
1. The blade will clean itself, so there will be no cutting material attached to the blade
2. Reduce downtime caused by cleaning and shorten processing time
3. Non pressure cutting can prevent material deformation
4. High cutting quality, will not get dirty or break
5. One major feature of ultrasonic cutting knives is that they can smoothly cut materials that are difficult to cut
6. They are small in size, do not require a large installation area, and can also be handheld for many operations
7. The cutting knife can also be connected to an automated robotic arm for more material processing
