Ultrasonic cutting of foods: Effects of excitation magnitude and cutting velocity on the reduction of cutting work

The effects of vertical cutting velocity and the magnitude of ultrasonic excitation on the reduction of the work necessary to separate various food materials were investigated. Generally, cutting work increased with increasing cutting velocity but, at each particular cutting velocity, decreased with increasing magnitude of the ultrasonic excitation of the cutting tool. Interactions between cutting velocity and the maximum vibration speed at the cutting edge, which is determined by both excitation amplitude and excitation frequency, are significant. Depending on the food under action, the relative amount of cutting work reduction is either affected by the maximum vibration speed or, additionally, by vertical cutting velocity. No distinct effects of the excitation frequency (20 or 40 kHz) were observed.

Industrial relevance

Ultrasonic cutting is used in the food industry, especially for the separation of products consisting of layers with different rheological properties to achieve minimally damaged cut surfaces. The results of the study may be useful for selecting operational variables (cutting velocity, excitation amplitude) during cutting to achieve a controlled reduction of the cutting work.