Comparison of different laser-assisted electrochemical methods based on surface morphology characteristics

Abstract

This paper presents two different laser electrochemical machining (LECM) methods: point-by-point method and scan method. Experiments about the two LECM methods were performed on the aluminum alloy plates placed in a shallow container filled with NaNO3 electrolyte 2 mm above. Then, the scanning electron microscopy and the optical profiling system were used to analyze machining quality and morphology characteristics of two different machining methods. For the point-by-point method, the shape accuracy at the starting point, finishing point, and node of line cross is lower. Compared with the point-by-point method, the better etching morphology was gained by the scan method in the experiments. The influence of the scan speed on machining quality and groove width was investigated. The better etching surface quality and the higher etching efficiency were gained when the scan speed varied from 0.1 to 0.15 mm/s. These results demonstrate that laser electrochemical machining by the scan method is a promising method to achieve complex profiles.