DAILY NOTES

(ADVANCED MACHINING OR UNCONVENTIONAL MACHINING OR NON-TRADITIONAL MACHINING)

Material removal processes once again can be divided into mainly two groups and they are
Conventional Machining Processes and Non-Traditional Manufacturing Processes.
Conventional machining processes (i.e., turning, drilling, and milling) use a sharp cutting tool to form a
chip from the work by shear deformation. In addition to these conventional methods, there is a group
of processes that uses other mechanisms to remove material. The term nontraditional machining
refers to this group that removes excess material by various techniques involving mechanical, thermal,
electrical, or chemical energy (or combinations of these energies). They do not use a sharp cutting tool
in the conventional sense.
Conventional machining can be defined as a process using mechanical (motion) energy. Non-
conventional machining utilises other forms of energy. The three main forms of energy used in non-
conventional machining processes are as follows :
Mechanical: Mechanical energy in some form other than the action of a conventional cutting tool is
used in these nontraditional processes. Erosion of the work material by a high velocity stream of
abrasives or fluid (or both) is a typical form of mechanical action in these processes.
Electrical: These nontraditional processes use electrochemical energy to remove material; the
mechanism is the reverse of electroplating.
Thermal: These processes use thermal energy to cut or shape the work-part. The thermal energy is
generally applied to a very small portion of the work surface, causing that portion to be removed
by fusion and/or vaporization. The thermal energy is generated by the conversion of electrical
energy.
Chemical: Most materials (metals particularly) are susceptible to chemical attack by certain acids or
other etchants. In chemical machining, chemicals selectively remove material from portions of the
work-part, whereas other portions of the surface are protected by a mask.

The non-traditional processes generally should be employed when:

I. There is a need to process some newly developed difficult-to-cut materials, machining of which is
accompanied by excessive cutting forces and tool wear. (Inconel, Ti-alloys or carbides)
II. There is a need for unusual and complex shapes, which cannot easily be machined or cannot at all be
machined by traditional processes. (e.g. square hole of 15 mmx15 mm with a depth of 30 mm, Deep
hole with small hole diameter e.g. 1.5 mm hole with L/D = 20, component machining)
III. There is a need of high accuracy and surface finish

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Classification of NTM(NON-TRADITIONAL MACHINING) processes is carried out depending on the nature of
energy used for material removal is given in the below table.

ENERGY TYPE MECHANICS OF ENERGY SOURCE PROCESS

MATERIAL REMOVAL
Mechanical Plastic or shear Mechanical motion of tool/ Conventional
deformation work-piece machining

Mechanical/ fluid motion Abrasive Jet Machining

Erosion (AJM), Ultrasonic
Machining (USM)
Water Jet Machining
(WJM)
Electrochemical Ion displacement Electric current Electrochemical
Machining (ECM)
Mechanical and Plastic shear and Ion Electric current and Electrochemical
Electrochemical displacement Mechanical motion Grinding (ECG)
Chemical Corrosive reaction Corrosive agent Chemical Machining
(CHM)

Fusion and Electric spark Electric Discharge

vaporization Machining (EDM)

Thermal High speed electrons Electron Beam

Machining (EBM)
Powerful Radiation Laser Beam Machining
(LBM)

Ionized substance Ion Beam Machining

(IBM), Plasma Arc
Machining (PAM)

Characteristics of unconventional machining:

Material removal may occur with chip formation or even no chip formation may take place. For
example in AJM, chips are of microscopic size and in case of Electrochemical machining material
removal occurs due to electrochemical dissolution at atomic level.
There may not be a physical tool present. For example in laser jet machining, machining is carried out
by laser beam. However in Electrochemical Machining there is a physical tool that is very much
required for machining.
The tool need not be harder than the work piece material. For example, in EDM, copper is used as the
tool material to machine hardened steels.

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 Most processes do not necessarily use mechanical energy to provide material removal. They use
different energy domains to provide machining. For example, in USM, AJM, WJM mechanical energy is
used to machine material, whereas in ECM electrochemical dissolution constitutes material removal.
PROCESS SELECTION CONSIDERATIONS
All methods are not suitable for all the materials. Methods which may be more suitable for machining a
particular work material are briefly given below:
For ceramics, plastics, glassUSM. AJM, EBM, LBM
For refractoriesUSM, AJM, EDM, EBM
For titaniumEDM
For super alloysAJM, ECM, EDM, PAM
For steelECM, CHM, EDM, PAM
Application of non-conventional methods is also influenced by the shape and size of the work-piece.
For example, LBM is best suited for micro-holes and for small holes, EBM. For deep holes (U/D > 20),
ECM is best suited and for shallow holes, USM and EDM. For precision thorough cavities, USM and
EDM are best. For etching small pocketing, ECM and EDM are suitable. For surfacing, ECM is best
whereas for through cutting, ECM and PAM are good for any depth and for shallow cutting. AJM, CHM,
EBM and LBM can be used. For applications like grinding. MM and EDM are used and for honing, ECM
and for deburring, USM and AJM.
Process capability or machining characteristics are analyzed with respect to:
a) Metal removal rate.
b) Tolerance and surface finish. Media for energy Mechanism of metal removal:
transfer: I. Shear
c) Depth of surface damage. II. Erosion
I. Physical contact
d) Power required for machining. II. High velocity
III. Chemical ablation
IV. Ionic dissolution
particles V. Spark erosion
III. Reactive VI. Vaporization
atmosphere
IV. Electrolyte
V. Hot gases
VI. Electrons
VII. Radiation etc.

ABRASIVE JET MACHINING (AJM)

3.1 Introduction
In abrasive jet machining (AJM) a focused stream of abrasive grains carried by high-pressure gas or air at a
high velocity is made to impinge on the work surface through a nozzle. The high velocity stream of abrasive is
generated by converting the pressure energy of the carrier gas or air to its kinetic energy and hence high
velocity jet. The high velocity abrasive particles remove the material by micro-cutting action as well as brittle
fracture of the work material. When the abrasives strike on the w/p, due to induction of high localized stress,
tiny brittle fracture occurs on the work surface. Abrasive slurry system: mixing of fluid medium and abrasive
particles takes place prior to pressurization in a separate chamber to create the slurry. Higher wear rates
throughout the equipment experienced using this system, but less expensive.

3.2 Equipment setup

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3.3 Effect of variables in AJM
The process characteristics in AJM can be evaluated by
MRR
Geometry of cut
Roughness of surface
Rate of nozzle wear

Material removal rate

The abrasive particles from the nozzle follow parallel paths for a short distance and then the abrasive jet flares
outward like a narrow cone. When the sharp-edged abrasive particles of Al2O3 or SiC hit a brittle and fragile
material at high speed, tiny brittle fractures are created from which small particles dislodge. The lodged out
particles are carried away by the air or gas. The material removal rate MRR, is given by
Where K = constant
N = number of abrasive particles impacting/unit area
da = mean diameter of abrasive particles, m
a = density of abrasive particles, kg/mm3
Hw = hardness number of the work material
n = speed of abrasive particles, m/s

The major parameters which control MRR and other characteristics of AJM are:
Abrasive:
The abrasives should have irregular shape with sharp edges. The material removal rate is mainly dependent on
the flow rate and size of abrasives. Larger grain sizes produce greater removal rates. At a particular pressure,
the volumetric removal rate increases with the abrasive flow rate up to an optimum value and then decreases
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with any further increase in flow rate. This is due to the fact that the mass flow rate of the gas decreases with
an increase in the abrasive flow rate and hence the mixing ratio increases causing a decrease in the removal
rate because of the decreasing energy available for material removal.

Carrier gas:
Higher the nozzle gas pressure, higher the metal removal rate.
High nozzle gas pressure decreases the life of nozzle.

Stand-off- distance or Nozzle- tip- distance:

It affects the MRR and also the shape-size of the cavity to be produced.

Applications

Drilling holes, cutting slots, cleaning hard surfaces, deburring, polishing and radiusing
Deburring of cross holes, slots, and threads in small precision parts that require a burr-free finish, such
as hydraulic valves, aircraft fuel systems, and medical appliances
Machining intricate shapes or holes in sensitive, brittle, thin, or difficult-to-machine materials
Insulation stripping and wire cleaning without affecting the conductor
Micro-deburring of hypodermic needles
Frosting glass and trimming of circuit boards, hybrid circuit resistors, capacitors, silicon, and gallium

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 Removal of films and delicate cleaning of irregular surfaces because the abrasive stream is able to
follow contours
Advantages & Disadvantages Advantages
Because AJM is a cool machining process, it is best suited for machining brittle and heat-sensitive
materials like glass, quartz, sapphire, and ceramics.
The process is used for machining superalloys and refractory materials.
It is not reactive with any workpiece material.
No tool changes are required.
Intricate parts of sharp corners can be machined.
The machined materials do not experience hardening.
No initial hole is required for starting the operation as required by wire EDM.
Material utilization is high.
It can machine thin materials.

Disadvantages
The removal rate is slow.
Stray cutting cant be avoided (low accuracy of 0.1 mm).
The tapering effect may occur especially when drilling in metals.
The abrasive may get impeded in the work surface.
Suitable dust-collecting systems should be provided.
Soft materials cant be machined by the process.
Silica dust may be a health hazard.
Ordinary shop air should be filtered to remove moisture and oil.