Abstract
Electrochemical jet processing techniques provide an efficient method for large area surface structuring and micro-milling, where the metallurgy of the near-surface is assured and not adversely affected by thermal loading. Here, doped electrolytes are specifically developed for jet techniques to exploit the Gaussian energy distribution as found in energy beam processes. This allows up to 26% reduction in dissolution kerf and enhancements of the defined precision metric of up to 284% when compared to standard electrolytes. This is achieved through the filtering of low energy at discrete points within the energy distribution curve. Two fundamental mechanisms of current filtering and refresh rate are proposed and investigated in order to underpin the performance enhancements found using this methodology. This study aims to demonstrate that a step change in process fidelity and flexibility can be achieved through optimisation of the electrochemistry specific to jet processes.
Highlights
It is widely recognised that component surface enhancement through the application of multiple scale surface structures is paramount to the optimisation of a component’s performance [1,2,3,4,5]
An electrolytic cell is formed between the nozzle, and the workpiece confined within the electrolyte jet
This study aims to demonstrate that a step change in process fidelity and flexibility can be achieved through optimisation of the electrochemistry specific to jet processes
Summary
It is widely recognised that component surface enhancement through the application of multiple scale surface structures is paramount to the optimisation of a component’s performance [1,2,3,4,5]. Realisation of these complex, often biologically inspired surfaces presents a significant manufacturing challenge. A thin film area develops radially about the nozzle as the jet impinges. This creates a high resistance area on the target surface, which restricts current allowing for mask-less deposition or removal of material. This is further aided by an air shroud, co-axial to the nozzle (Fig. 1a) helping to constrict the jet further and serving to assist in debris and gas bubble removal which form during machining [14]
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