An experimental study on characteristics of a magnetostrictive vibrator

The paper presents an experimental study on the key characteristics of a magnetostrictive vibrator being developed for polishing application. Firstly, the actuation principle is systematically illustrated by a general model and experimentally verified by measuring magnetic fluxes flowing in the legs of the vibrator. Then the vibration mode is analyzed by finite element method and proved by node position test. It is found that the experiment result shows good consistent with that of simulation. After that, the effect of external stress on vibration amplitude is tested and the result indicates that under the stress of 0-1 N, the vibration amplitude shows in a rough proportion relationship to the stress. However, when the stress is less than 100 mN, vibration amplitude is almost not changed. Finally, the heat generation of the vibrator is evaluated, and a cooling device is developed for effectively decreasing the operating temperature.