Workpiece reciprocating movement aided wire electrochemical machining using a tube electrode with an array of holes

Abstract

Parts with a ruled surface manufactured to high accuracy and good surface integrity are widely used in industry. Wire electrochemical machining (WECM) has great advantages and potential in the processing of these parts because there is no residual machining stress, the surface is free of burrs and has no recast layer, and there is no tool wear. In this paper, WECM using a tube electrode with an array of holes was introduced to further improve the machining efficiency and capability for thick workpiece. Additionally, the reciprocating movement of the workpiece was used to change the spraying position of the electrolyte on the machining surface. The simulation results indicate that this method can improve the velocity and uniformity of the electrolyte flow field in the machining gap. Experiments verified that when the amplitude of the reciprocating movement is greater than the spacing of holes, machining efficiency and accuracy are greatly improved. Finally, using optimized machining parameters, an array of slits with a width of 550 μm (standard deviation of 5.99 μm) was fabricated on 10-mm-thick stainless steel 304 at a cutting rate of 3 mm²/min.