Simulation and analysis of through-mask electrochemical machining with moving tools

At present, the development of through-mask micro-electrochemical machining is only limited to static machining, where the size of the tool is usually the same as that of the workpiece. However, in the electrochemical processing, metal with good electrical conductivity is chosen as the tool electrode, and it is usually very expensive. Based on the cost consideration, a moving tool with small size may be preferred. Finite element method is used in this paper to create the electric field model of through-mask micro-electrochemical machining with moving tool. The effects of the parameters, such as applied voltage, mask thickness, on the machining shape are investigated. The results show that the higher the applied voltage, the larger the machining depth and width, and also the better the aspect ratio. When the thickness of the mask is thin, the electric field is unevenly distributed and the lateral corrosion is more serious. There is an island-like phenomenon, which is related to the masking of the mask. When the moving speed is relatively slow, the relative processing time is longer. The current density accumulated on the surface of the workpiece is thus higher and the material removal rate is higher. As the processing time increases, the machining depth becomes deeper, and the forward corrosion rate is slow down.

Ultrasound-Assisted Through-Mask Electrochemical Machining of Hole Arrays in ODS Superalloy

Micro-hole arrays have found wide applications in aerospace, precision instruments, and biomedicine. Among various methods of their production, including mechanical, laser, and electrical discharge, electrochemical machining (ECM) is considered the most lucrative due to its wide processing range, high surface quality, and excellent productivity. In particular, ultrasound-assisted through-mask ECM exhibits an enhanced machining precision due to ultrasonic cavitation, which promotes the removal of the electrolytic products and bubbles. In this study, the equation of cavitation bubble oscillation was derived and numerically solved to study the influence of six different parameters on the ultrasonic cavitation and electrolysis process, and their optimal values were determined. The feasibility of the proposed ultrasound-assisted through-mask ECM technology with the optimized parameters was experimentally corroborated by the fabrication of a high-quality hole array in an oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) MA956 superalloy.