Experimental Investigations into Electrochemical Milling of Ti6Al4V During Generation of Three-Dimensional Features

Abstract

This research work investigates the influence of process parameters e.g. feed rate and milling layer depth with tool rotation on various performance criteria e.g. overcut, machining depth, perpendicularity, radius of curvature of the side wall and surface roughness during electrochemical (EC) milling of Ti6Al4V with the indigenously developed setup. In this study, three most accepted multicriteria and decision-making (MCDM) techniques e.g. SAW, TOPSIS and MOORA are utilized for finding out the optimal parametric combination followed by fabrication of different three-dimensional complex features on Ti6Al4V at that optimal parametric combination. This study confirms that internal flushing with tool rotation improves the accuracy of the machined profile due to better removal of sludge from the machining zone. Developed milling setup is able to generate different complex and three- dimensional features on Ti6Al4V with desired accuracy. Using 1[Formula: see text]M of NaNO3 and NaCl mixed electrolyte, at 4.4[Formula: see text]mm/min of feed rate and 0.25[Formula: see text]mm of milling layer depth with tool rotation, best values of width overcut, average depth, side angle, radius of curvature and surface roughness ([Formula: see text] are achieved as 0.666[Formula: see text]mm, 1.538[Formula: see text]mm, 47∘, 2.091[Formula: see text]mm, and 1.462[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m, respectively.