Accelerated Electrochemical Machining Tool Design Via Multiphysics Modeling
Abstract
Electrochemical machining (ECM) is a manufacturing technology that allows metal to be precisely removed by electrochemical oxidation and dissolution into an electrolyte solution. ECM is suited for machining parts fabricated from “difficult to cut” materials and/or parts with complicated and intricate geometries. In ECM, the workpiece is the anode and the tool is the cathode in an electrochemical cell; by relative movement of the shaped tool into the workpiece, the mirror image of the tool is “copied” or machined into the workpiece. Figure 1 shows a schematic and photograph of a shaped ECM tool (cathode) and the resulting part (anode) surface after machining. Compared to mechanical or thermal machining processes where metal is removed by cutting or electric discharge/laser machining, respectively, ECM does not suffer from tool wear or result in a thermally damaged surface layer on the workpiece. Consequently, ECM has strong utility as a manufacturing technology for fabrication of a wide variety of metallic parts and components, and includes machining, deburring, boring, radiusing and polishing processes. ECM provides particular value in that application is straightforward to high strength/tough and/or work-hardening materials such as high strength steel, chrome-copper alloy (C18200), nickel alloy (IN718), cobalt-chrome alloy (Stellite 25) and tantalum-tungsten alloy (Ta10W), since the material removal process involves no mechanical interaction between the tool and the part. A variety of commercial and military production applications are envisioned as well suited for ECM techniques.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Apr 15, 2017
- Source ID
- 10.1149/ma2017-01/20/1079
Entities
People
- Brian Skinn
- E. J. Taylor
- K. P. Rajurkar
- Stephen Snyder
- Timothy D. Hall