Improving the machined bottom surface in electrochemical mill-grinding by adjusting the electrolyte flow field

Abstract

Electrochemical mill-grinding is a modified technique version of traditional electrochemical machining which can be applied in the manufacturing of some parts in the helicopter transmission system. Tool wear is greatly reduced in comparison to traditional processing methods when machining hard-to-cut materials. Besides, it also has the potential to be used for rough and finish machining in succession. As the machining allowance in finish machining is directly related to the machined flatness in rough machining, the better flatness helps to reduce tool wear and shorten the machining cycle. To improve the flatness, a new tool substrate with additional bottom outlet holes is proposed. A simulation of the dynamic flow field showed that when using the new tool, the electrolyte velocity had obviously increased at edge regions and decreased at the front of the middle region, which improves the flatness. Validation experiments demonstrate that the new tool significantly improves the machined flatness and surface roughness. In addition, the new abrasive tool was used for finish machining on the bottom surface that had already been rough machined. This further enhanced the flatness and surface roughness. Finally, a glossy rectangle plane was successfully machined to prove that the new abrasive tool can accomplish rough and finish machining in succession.