Effect of structural parameters of array of holes in the tube electrode for electrochemical cutting

Abstract

Wire electrochemical machining is a highly flexible machining method based on the electrochemical dissolution of a workpiece anode, which corrodes. Material is removed locally from the workpiece as the tool is moved through two dimensions. In electrochemical cutting using a tube electrode, a metal tube with an array of holes on the sidewall replaces the conventional wire as the tool cathode. The electrolyte enters through the top of the tube electrode, is ejected though the array of holes, and directly sprays onto the machining surface of the workpiece. In this paper, the flow of the electrolyte in the machining gap was simulated for tube electrodes with different holes spacing and inclination angles. Experiments verified that the refreshment of the electrolyte and the removal of electrolysis products were fast and the machining efficiency was high when the holes spacing was 1 mm and inclination angle was −45°. Adding supplementary electrolyte into the slit improves the consistency of the slit width. Finally, using the optimized structural parameters, arrays of columns were fabricated from 10-mm-thick stainless steel 304 at a feed rate of 7 μm/s.