阳极振动往复运丝微细电解线切割试验研究

电解加工产物的及时输运是微细电解线切割加工中亟待解决的问题。提出通过线电极往复运动和工件低频振动共同强化加工间隙内传质过程来提高微细电解线切割的切缝质量的方法;构建了线电极往复运丝、工件振动的微细电解线切割试验系统;采用正交试验方法,分析了线电极运丝幅值、运丝频率、工件振动幅值和振动频率4个因素对切缝平均宽度和切缝轮廓均匀性影响的主次和趋势,并筛选出了优化的线电极运丝和工件振动参数;采用优化参数加工出了结构清晰、完整的微梁结构。     

Characteristic investigation of pipe cutting technology based on electro-discharge machining

Pipe cutting technology plays an important role in the process of offshore platforms decommissioning, as many devices such as tubing, drill pipe, and casing need to be decommissioned. In this study, a novel cutting pipe technology based on electro-discharge machining (EDM) is proposed, and a cutting pipe mechanism is developed to cut the pipes for decommissioning offshore platforms. The machining principles and characteristics of the technique are described. The effects of machining parameters, including tool polarity, dielectric fluid, electrode material and width, pulse on-time, pulse off-time, peak voltage, and electrode rotation speed to machining performance, are investigated. The material removal rate (MRR) of the machined casing and tool electrode wear ratio (EWR) is obtained based on the calculation of the percentage of mass loss per machining time. The experimental results show that a better cutting performance can be obtained with negative tool polarity at the conditions of dielectric fluid of emulsion, pulse on-time of 500 μs, pulse off-time of 200 μs, peak voltage of 70 V, copper electrode width of 28 mm, and electrode rotation speed of 250 rpm is a better choice. Additionally, the cutting slots surface has been investigated by the means of SEM. The cutting slots machined by the rotary EDM are clean and smooth.     

Research of micro EDM/ECM method in same electrolyte with running wire tool electrode

A micro rod machining method which can switch between electrical discharge machining (EDM) and electrochemical machining (ECM) by attaching/detaching a diode to/from a bipolar pulse generator in parallel to the working gap was newly developed using a wire electrode made of tungsten. The problem of the wire electrode wear was eliminated by the use of the wire electrochemical turning (WECT) method in which the tungsten wire electrode is continuously running. The ultra-short bipolar pulse current was generated by the electrostatic induction feeding method where a pulse voltage is coupled to the working gap through a feeding capacitance. The machining characteristics of three types of wire guide; disk-shaped WC guide, laminated wire guide and cylindrical acrylic guide, were studied. The experimental results showed that the cylindrical acrylic guide has the best machining characteristics without the influence of guide wear and with less stray current flowing through the working gap. Using the cylindrical acrylic guide, the influences of the feeding capacitance C₁, and the total amplitude of the pulse voltage on the machining characteristics were studied. Finally, a stainless steel SUS 304 micro-rod with a high aspect ratio of 14 was fabricated efficiently by using the EDM and ECM modes for rough and finish machining in sequence with the same setup, pulse generator, and neutral electrolyte.     

An investigation into wire electrochemical micro machining of pure tungsten

Tungsten-based microstructures have attracted great interest in many industrial advanced applications. Nevertheless, with a disadvantageous combination of high hardness, toughness and brittleness, the micro machining of pure tungsten poses significant difficulty. In this paper, an investigation into the wire electrochemical micro machining (WEMM) of pure tungsten at low alkaline electrolyte concentration and small pulse duration is presented. Under the optimal machining conditions, tungsten-based microstructures with a side gap of 4 μm, slit width of 18 μm and aspect ratio of 5.6, as well as with a side gap of 5 μm, slit width of 20 μm and aspect ratio of 15, were obtained. In order to improve productivity in the machining of multi-slit microstructures, multi-wire electrochemical micro machining of tungsten was introduced. Using a 3-wire electrode, a 9-slit microstructure with a slit width of approximately 24 μm was produced and the machining efficiency was improved by a factor of three. The results revealed that it was a promising method for the fabrication of tungsten-based periodic or quasi-periodic microstructures, such as the gratings used in the X-ray absorption contrast system of imaging.     

Micro wire electrochemical machining with an axial electrolyte flow

Micro wire electrochemical machining is a useful technique to produce high-aspect-ratio slit micro-structures. To improve processing stability, the axial electrolyte flow is adopted to renew electrolytes in the machining gap. A wire electrochemical micro-machining system with an axial electrolyte flow unit is developed. A mathematical model of tool feed rate is presented. To investigate the influence of electrolyte flow on processing stability and machining efficiency, comparative experiments were carried out. The influence of applied voltage and electrolyte concentration on machining accuracy is studied and the parameters such as electrolyte flow rate and applied voltage are optimized. Low initial machining gap is applied to decrease the stray current machining in the initial machining period. With the optimal parameters, the high-aspect-ratio micro spline and curved flow channel with the slit width of 160?μm have been fabricated on 5-mm-thick stainless steel (0Cr18Ni9). The width of the slit is uniform and the aspect ratio is 31.     

超短脉冲电流微细电解加工技术研究

利用电化学腐蚀方法,在自制的电解加工机床上连续实现微细工具电极的制作和工件的加工,通过试验研究了超短脉冲的电压幅值和脉冲宽度对侧面加工间隙的影响。结果表明,减小脉冲宽度,降低加工电压,可以提高微细电解加工的精度。利用优化的加工参数,进行了微小孔加工、微细直写加工以及成形电极微细加工的实验。     

旋转电极电解电火花切割玻璃微结构试验研究

针对高深宽比非导电硬脆材料(如石英玻璃和陶瓷)微结构的加工需求,对微细电解电火花切割加工方法进行了深入研究。首先,提出了使用旋转螺旋微工具电极的电化学放电切割方法,并对切割缝宽模型进行了讨论;其次,对旋转螺旋电极电解电火花切割加工工艺进行了深入的试验研究,试验研究了加工电压、脉冲频率、占空比和主轴转速这些关键工艺参数对切割加工精度的影响。实验结果表明,缝宽随着施加电压和占空比的增加而增加,随着频率、主轴转速和进给速率的增加而减小。最后,通过优化后的参数成功加工出缝宽为135μm的微缝阵列、复杂的封闭微结构以及深宽比达6∶1的微图形结构。由此表明该方法是一种可有效加工高深宽比绝缘硬脆材料微结构的新工艺。     

An experimental investigation on machining parameters of AISI D2 steel using WEDM

The performance of the wire electrodischarge machining (WEDM) machining process largely depends upon the selection of the appropriate machining variables. Optimization is one of the techniques used in manufacturing sectors to arrive for the best manufacturing conditions, which are essential for industries toward manufacturing of quality products at lowest cost. As there are many process variables involved in the WEDM machining process, it is difficult to choose a proper combination of these process variables in order to maximize material removal rate and to minimize tool wear and surface roughness. The objective of the this work is to investigate the effects of process variables like pulse on time, pulse off time, peak current, servo voltage, and wire feed on material removal rate (MRR), surface roughness (SR), gap voltage, gap current, and cutting rate in the WEDM machining process. The experiment has been done using Taguchi’s orthogonal array L27 (3⁵). Each experiment was conducted under different conditions of input parameters and statistically evaluated the experimental data by analysis of variance (ANOVA) using MINITAB and Design Expert tools. The present work also aims to develop mathematical models for correlating the inter-relationships of various WEDM machining parameters and performance parameters of machining on AISI D2 steel material using response surface methodology (RSM).The significant machining parameters and the optimal combination levels of machining parameters associated with performance parameters were also drawn. The observed optimal process parameter settings based on composite desirability (61.4 %) are pulse on time 112.66 μs, pulse off time 45 μs, spark gap voltage 46.95 V, wire feed 2 mm/min, peak current of 99.99 A for achieving maximum MRR, gap current, gap voltage, cutting rate, and minimum SR; finally, the results were experimentally verified.     

窄缝精密电解加工的实验研究

通过在理论上分析窄缝电解加工中片状电极和丝状电极对加工间隙和流场分布的影响,提出了采用小直径丝状电极提高加工精度和改善加工稳定性的方法。文中分别进行了片状电极和丝状电极之间、不同直径丝状电极之间的窄缝电解加工对比试验。结果表明,小直径丝状电极可以减小电解液流过电极丝产生的涡流死水区,改善加工区内的电解液更新和电解产物的排除,提高加工精度和加工过程的稳定性。     

Flow field design and experimental investigation of electrochemical machining on blisk cascade passage

Electrochemical machining (ECM) provides an economical and effective way for machining heat-resistant, high-strength materials into complex shapes that are difficult to machine using conventional methods. It has been applied in several industries, especially aerospace, to manufacture blisk. The electrolyte flow field is a critical factor in ECM process stability and precision. To improve the process stability and the efficiency of blisk cascade passages, ECM with a radial feeding electrode, a rational electrolyte flow mode for electrochemical machining called “Π shape flow mode”, is discussed in the paper. Three flow field models are described separately in this report: traditional lateral flow mode, positive flow mode and Π-shaped flow mode, and the electrolyte velocity and pressure distribution vectors for each flow mode are calculated by means of a finite element fluid analysis method. The simulation results show that the electrolyte flow is more uniform with the Π-shaped flow mode. The deformation of the cathode, which is caused by the pressure difference, is also analysed in this report. The cascade passage ECM with a radial feeding electrode was experimentally tested out to evaluate the rationality of the flow field, and the fluctuation of current during the process was less than 1 %, which means that the process that uses the Π-shaped flow mode is stable. The feeding velocity of the cathode with the Π-shaped flow mode is approximately 70 % higher than that with the other two flow modes, and the incidences of short circuiting are obviously decreased. The surface roughness of the blisk hub is only 0.15 μm, and the machining error of the hub is less than 0.1 mm. The results demonstrate that using the Π-shaped flow mode can enhance the quality, stability and efficiency of blisk cascade passage ECM.     

Micro wire electrode electrochemical cutting with low frequency and small amplitude tool vibration

For removing electrolysis products and renewing electrolyte, the low frequency and small amplitude micro-tool vibration which direction is parallel to wire electrode axis is adopted. A wire electrochemical micro-machining system with micro-tool vibration unit has been developed. A mathematical model of overcut is presented. The micrometer scale wire electrodes of 10, 5, and 2???m in diameter have been electrochemically in situ fabricated. The influence of micro-tool vibration on processing stability, overcut, machining accuracy, and repeatability accuracy of micro wire electrode electrochemical cutting is investigated. With electrodes in various diameters, influence of electrode diameter on overcut is experimentally studied. To investigate the influence of machining parameters and work-piece thickness on the machining, comparative experiments are carried.     

EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE INFLUENCE OF MAJOR OPERATING PARAMETERS DURING MICRO-ELECTRO DISCHARGE DRILLING OF CEMENTED CARBIDE

Present study investigates the influence of major operating parameters on the performance of micro-EDM drilling of cemented carbide (WC-10wt%Co) and identifies the ideal values for improved performance. The operating parameters studied were electrode polarity, gap voltage, resistance, peak current, pulse duration, pulse interval, duty ratio, electrode rotational speed and EDM speed. The performance of micro-EDM drilling process was evaluated by machining time, material removal rate (MRR), relative electrode wear ratio (RWR), spark gap, surface finish and dimensional accuracy of micro-holes. It has been found that there are two major conflicting issues in the micro-EDM of carbide. If the primary objective is to obtain better surface finish, it can be obtained by the sacrifice of high machining time, low MRR and high RWR. However, for faster micro-EDM, the surface roughness is higher and electrode wear is again much higher. It is concluded that negative electrode polarity, gap voltage of 120 V, resistance of 33 Ω, peak current of 8 A, pulse duration of 21 μs, pulse interval of 30 μs, duty cycle of 0.47, electrode rotational speed of 700 rpm and EDM speed of 10 μm/s can be considered as ideal parameters to provide improved performances during the micro-EDM of WC-Co.     

Vibration assisted wire electrochemical micro machining of array micro tools

Micro structures and components are widely used in modern industries, and micro machining has therefore become a popular research topic. As micro tools are essential in micro machining, wire electrochemical micro machining is introduced in the fabrication of micro tools in this paper, and micro square column tool arrays are fabricated using wire cathodes by two steps. In order to improve the machining efficiency and quality, an electrode vibration technique is used, and the effects of bubble behaviour on slit width homogeneity and edge radius are studied through simulations of the electric field. The influences of various machining parameters such as vibration conditions, electrical properties, electrolyte concentration and feedrate on the standard deviation of the slit width and on the value of the edge radius are investigated. In addition, the micro dimple array is fabricated using electrochemical micro machining by employing the micro square column tool array as the cathode.     

Precision manufacturing of turbine wheel slots by trim-offset approach of WEDM

The present study aims to precisely manufacture the turbine wheel slot using a novel trim-offset approach of wire-electrical-discharge-machining (WEDM) in order to overcome the challenges of a conventional broaching process. Two dimensional model of turbine wheel slot is prepared in ‘ELCAM’ software to generate the computer-numerical-control (CNC) code of fir-tree-profile geometry. The experimental plan based on a trim-offset approach is executed to minimize the thermal damage and to improve the surface fatigue strength, which is most desirable for a long operating life of the jet engine. An average cutting speed of ~1.5 mm/min is observed for rough-cut and ~5 mm/min for trim-cut operation. Six categories of wires are used to manufacture the turbine wheel slots without any wire breakage and gap-short issue. The fabricated profile slots have demonstrated an average roughness (Ra) of 0.65 μm, profile accuracy within ±5 μm, minimum hardness alteration (34.87 Hv), and negligible recast layer (<5 μm) using B-150 wire and fulfilled the essential requirements of the gas turbine industries. Compared to wire-electrochemical-machining (WECM), WEDM trim-offset approach is quite advantageous and should be beneficial for the researchers working in ‘Precision machining of aerospace materials’.     

Free abrasive wire saw machining of ceramics

Currently, many kinds of ceramics are used in advanced industrial fields due to their superior mechanical properties, such as thermal, wear, corrosion resistance, and lightweight features. Wire saw machining ceramic (Al₂O₃) was investigated by ultrasonic vibration in this study. Taguchi approach is a powerful design tool for high-quality systems. Material removal rate, wafer surface roughness, steel wire wear, kerf width, and flatness during machining ceramic were selected as quality character factors to optimize the machining parameters (swinging angle, concentration, mixed grain and direction of ultrasonic vibration) to get the larger-the-better (material removal rate) and the smaller-the-better (wafer surface roughness, steel wire wear, kerf width and flatness) machining characteristics by Taguchi method. The results indicated that wire swinging produces a higher material removal rate and good wafer surface roughness. Ultrasonic vibration improved material removal rate, without affecting the flatness under different machining conditions. Experimental results show that the optimal wire saw machining parameters based on grey relational analysis can be determined effectively and material removal rate increases from 2.972 to 3.324 mm²/min, wafer surface roughness decreases from 0.37 to 0.34 μm, steel wire wear decreases from 0.78 to 0.77 μm, kerf width decreases from 0.352 to 0.350 mm, and flatness decreases from 7.51 to 7.22 μm are observed.     

Recent developments and research challenges in electrochemical micromachining (µECM)

Electrochemical machining (ECM) and especially electrochemical micromachining (μECM) became an attractive area of research due to the fact that this process does not create any defective layer after machining and that there is a growing demand for better surface integrity on different micro-applications such as microfluidics systems and stress free drilled holes in automotive and aerospace manufacturing with complex shapes. Electrochemical machining is a non-conventional machining process based on the phenomenon of electrolysis. This process requires maintaining a small gap (size of a few μm)—the inter-electrode gap—between the anode (workpiece) and the cathode (tool electrode) in order to achieve acceptable machining results (i.e. accuracy, high aspect ratio with appropriate material removal rate and efficiency). This paper presents different problematic areas of electrochemical micromachining (often referred to as electrochemical micromachining or μECM). The aim of this paper is to address the problems met by the μECM technology developers and to present the current state-of-the-art solutions.     

Approaches for improvement of EDM cutting performance of SiC with foil electrode

Electrical discharge machining by foil electrode serves as an alternative method for SiC slicing. This technology uses a highly tensioned thin foil as the tool electrode. The main advantages over wire EDM are that the foil thickness can be made smaller than the wire diameter, vibrations can be avoided by applying high tension, and higher current can be supplied since there is less risk of tool breakage. However, due to the large side surface area of the foil electrode, there is a high occurrence probability of side surface discharges and high concentration of debris, which affects kerf width accuracy and machining stability. In the aim to overcome both problems, this study proposes two foil electrode designs: a foil electrode in which holes are machined and the insulation of the side surface areas by a resin coating layer of 5 μm thickness. The influences of both foil electrodes were tested with three different slicing strategies: no strategy, applying jump motion of the tool electrode, and applying reciprocating motion. From machining experiments and comparative studies of the discharge delay time, it was found that with both foil tools, the occurrence probability of side surface discharges can be reduced. In addition, the chip pocketing effect of the holes enhance the flushing conditions, resulting in a higher cutting speed.     

随动导丝及喷水机构大锥度高速电火花线切割研究

高速往复走丝电火花线切割机床大锥度（≥±5°）切割时,受到诸多因素的影响,尤其是电极丝采用导轮定位产生的结构误差的影响,加上切割时工作液不能很好地包裹住电极丝并随着电极丝沿倾斜方向进入加工区域,使其加工精度和表面粗糙度比直体切割时差很多,对于锥度零件的多次切割特别是大锥度零件的多次切割则显得更加困难,其根本原因是没有能够保持电极丝空间位置及稳定性的随动导丝器和喷水机构。为此,设计了一种随着电极丝倾斜能随动导丝并跟踪喷液的六连杆大锥度随动导丝及喷水机构。通过试验,在相同加工参数条件下,新型随动机构与现有机构相比,圆锥加工误差从80μm减小到40μm,表面粗糙度Ra从4.059μm减小至3.495μm,多次切割后加工精度可以达到25μm（锥度±20°,工件厚40mm）,表面粗糙度Ra达到1.670μm。     

Diameter control of microshafts in wire electrical discharge grinding

In microelectrical discharge machining (μEDM), the machining repeatability of microshafts with the same diameter is low due to the complex and stochastic nature of sparking. To improve machining repeatability, the effects of the main error sources on diameter accuracy of microshafts fabricated by wire electrical discharge grinding (WEDG) were analyzed. Strategies to minimize diameter differences between the target microshaft and the microshaft finally obtained by semifinishing and finishing were then proposed. Determining an appropriate infeed (depth of a cut) according to the desired erosion depth in the radial direction (ΔR) of microshafts was chosen as the control strategy for the semifinishing of microshafts produced by WEDG. To determine the infeed, empirical models that evaluate the relationship between the infeed and ΔR were developed through a large number of experiments. For the finishing of microshafts using WEDG, machining strategies such as zero infeed and stopping the wire electrode running, were proposed to eliminate some of the inherent errors. Finally, the empirical models developed for determining the infeed were verified by the successful fabrication of a stepped microshaft, which has small deviations from its desired diameters. By employing the developed empirical models and machining strategies, diameters of 26 out of 28 microshafts fabricated were found to lie in the range of 45?±?2 μm. The experimental results verify that the diameter control strategies are effective and can be used to improve machining repeatability.     

Super-high-thickness high-speed wire electrical discharge machining

High-speed wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM-HS) of materials of super-high thickness (more than 1000 mm) is a challenging problem. First, sufficient energy is required to maintain the inter-electrode normal discharge. Next, there must be adequate inter-electrode dielectric fluid. Third, in order to generate a smooth cut surface, it is necessary to suppress the vibration of the wire electrode to reduce vibration lines on the cutting surface. To better understand these challenges, the energy and the flow of the medium between two electrodes were analyzed, allowing the establishment of a relevant model. The results indicated that for super-high-thickness machining, the pulse energy must be adequate to compensate for the energy consumed in the molybdenum wire and inter-electrode working liquid. In addition, the running speed of the wire electrode should be improved to ensure that there is a sufficiently high flow rate of the dielectric fluid. The servo control mode of the existing machine tools and dielectric fluid were improved and then a process experiment was performed. The experimental results show that the process can be carried out efficiently and stably and the workpiece surface can be cut smoothly using the improved working liquid and servo control mode.