On innovative approach in ECDM process by controlling the temperature and stirring rate of the electrolyte

Abstract

ABSTRACT In the wake of drawbacks of existing processes, electro chemical discharge machining (ECDM) is an evolutionary method for the micromachining of glass. However, poor flushing coupled with insufficient electrolyte replenishment and unstable temperature deteriorates the ECDM performance. Therefore, the present study is an attempt to enhance the performance by controlling the temperature and stirring rate of the electrolyte in ECDM using a magnetic stirrer that is an innovative approach, termed as S-ECDM. The voltage, electrolyte temperature, pulse-on time and electrolyte stirring rate have been considered as the process parameters. The aspect ratio (AR) and heat-affected zone (HAZ) of micro-hole have been considered as the response characteristics. The interaction of electrolyte stirring with other process parameters synergizes the energy generation and channelization behavior at optimal conditions. At optimal conditions, the AR and HAZ were found to be 0.692 and 0.404 mm2, respectively.