Ultrasonic transducers have extensive applications, one of which is ultrasonic cutting. The materials that can be cut with this method include, but are not limited to, food (cakes, frozen meat), plastics (3D printed models, engineering prototype), paper, textiles, art-related materials and so on. The resonant frequency needed to cut different materials vary, typically from 30 kHz ~ 60 kHz. The principle of ultrasonic cutting is that the ultrasonic transducer converts electrical energy into mechanical energy (also known as mechanical vibration). The cutting effect is achieved by the heat generated from the friction between the vibrating blade and the object. Diagram below shows a schematic illustration of the ultrasonic cutting knife.

In comparison with traditional knives, ultrasonic cutting knives have the following advantages:

  • They do not require sharp blades, nor require a lot of pressure, and do not cause damage to the cut material
  • Ultrasonic cutting knifes vibrate at very high speed, and the friction resistance is relatively small hence easy to cut
  • The cut material itself is not likely to stick to the blade, and has a smooth and neat cutting surface, particularly for frozen, sticky and elastic materials, such as food, rubber, plastic or items that are not easy to apply pressure on.
  • Fusion can be produced while cutting, which can prevent the loosening of the cut material structure, such as textile material burrs
  • Cutting objects with ultrasonic vibration can effectively reduce operator fatigue
  • They are proven to be safer than traditional knives if using correctly
Schematic diagram of the ultrasonic cutting knife

The basic structure of the ultrasonic transducer for cutting consists of BASE, SCREW , PZT (piezoelectric ceramic) and HORN, as shown in the figure below. Unictron is fully capable of producing piezoelectric ceramics and ultrasonic piezoelectric transducers. We can also design ultrasonic transducers from scratch according to customer requirements, such as resonance frequency, mounting method, dimensions, etc., and use in-house simulation software to determine the adjustment for frequency parameter and simulate an optimal amplitude output to achieve the ideal design of the ultrasonic transducer.

Basic structure of ultrasonic transducer