Advanced Manufacturing

Technology (PC-ME701)

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 Syllabus Learning Resources

Modules • A. Ghosh and A.K. Mallik, Manufacturing

1. Mechanical Advanced Machining Processes Science, Affiliated East west Press Ltd, 2001
2. Electro-Chemical Processes • V.K. Jain, Advanced Machining Processes,
Allied Publishers Pvt. Ltd. 2002
3. Electric Discharge Machining
• V. K. Jain, Introduction to Micromachining,
4. Laser Beam, Electron Beam, Ion Beam and Alpha Science International Limited, 2010
Plasma Arc Machining
5. Advanced Finishing Processes
6. Micro-Machining

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 Classification of Manufacturing Processes

Primary Secondary

• Provide basic shape and size to the • Provide the final shape and size with
material as per designer’s requirement tighter control on dimension, surface
• Casting, forming, powder metallurgy characteristics etc.
• Material removal processes

Material removal processes

Conventional Non-Conventional

Turning, boring, milling, shaping, AJM, USM, WJM, AJM, EDM, ECM,
broaching, slotting, grinding etc EBM, etc
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 Conventional Machining
• Conventional Machining Processes mostly
remove material in the form of chips by applying
forces on the work material with a wedge
shaped cutting tool that is harder than the work
material under machining condition. Such forces
induce plastic deformation within the work
piece leading to shear deformation along the
shear plane and chip formation.
• Thus the major characteristics of conventional
machining are:
 Generally macroscopic chip formation by shear
deformation.
 Material removal takes place due to application of
cutting forces – energy domain can be classified as
mechanical. Shear deformation in conventional machining leading to
chip formation
 Cutting tool is harder than work piece at room
temperature as well as under machining conditions.

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 Non Traditional Machining (NTM) • Mostly NTM processes do not necessarily use
mechanical energy to provide material removal.
• Material removal may occur with chip formation They use different energy domains to provide
or even no chip formation may take place. machining.
 For example in AJM, chips are of microscopic size and  For example, in USM, AJM, WJM mechanical energy is
in case of Electrochemical machining material removal used to machine material, whereas in ECM
occurs due to electrochemical dissolution at atomic electrochemical dissolution constitutes material
level removal.

• In NTM, there may not be a physical tool

present. Classification of NTM processes is carried out
 For example in laser jet machining, machining is depending on the nature of energy used
carried out by laser beam. However in Electrochemical
Machining there is a physical tool that is very much for material removal. The broad classification is
required for machining given as follows:
• In NTM, the tool need not be harder than the  Mechanical Processes
work piece material.  Electrochemical Processes
 For example, in EDM, copper is used as the tool  Electro-Thermal Processes
material to machine hardened steels.  Chemical Processes

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 NTM Processes

Mechanical Electrochemical Electro-Thermal Chemical

• Abrasive Jet • Electrochemical • Electro-discharge • Chemical Milling

Machining (AJM) Machining (ECM) machining (EDM) (CHM)

• Water Jet • Electrochemical • Laser Jet • Photochemical

Machining (WJM) Grinding (ECG) Machining (LJM) Milling (PCM)

• Abrasive Water • Electro Jet Drilling • Electron Beam

Jet Machining (EJD) Machining (EBM)
(AWJM)

• Ultrasonic
Machining (USM)

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 Need for NTM

• New exotic work materials as well as innovative geometric design of products and components
led to the development and establishment of NTM processes in the industry as efficient and
economic alternatives to conventional ones.
• The following examples are provided where NTM processes are preferred over the
conventional machining process:
 Intricate shaped blind hole – e.g. square hole of 15 mmx15 mm with a depth of 30 mm
 Difficult to machine material – e.g. same example as above in Inconel, Ti-alloys or carbides.
 Low Stress Grinding – Electrochemical Grinding is preferred as compared to conventional grinding
 Deep hole with small hole diameter – e.g. φ 1.5 mm hole with l/d = 20
 Machining of composites.

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Quiz

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Electron Beam Machining
(EBM)

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 Instructional Objectives

• To describe the basic mechanism of material removal in EBM

• To identify major components of EBM equipment
• To state the working principle of EBM equipment
• To draw schematically the EBM equipment
• To identify the process parameters of EBM
• To identify the machining characteristics of EBM
• To list three applications of EBM
• To list three limitations of EBM

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 Introduction

• EBM is one of the thermal beam processes

Variation in energy density with spot diameter of thermal beam processes 11

 Introduction Process

• Characteristic length is the diameter over • Electron beam is generated in an electron

which the beam or flame is active. beam gun.
• In case of oxyacetylene flame or welding arc, • Electron beam gun provides high velocity
the characteristic length is in mm to tens of electrons over a very small spot size.
mm and the power density is typically low. • Electron Beam Machining is required to be
• Electron Beam may have a characteristic carried out in vacuum.
length of tens of microns to mm depending • Otherwise the electrons would interact with
on degree of focusing of the beam. the air molecules, thus they would loose
• In case of defocused electron beam, power their energy and cutting ability.
density would be as low as 1 . • The high-energy focused electron beam is
• But in case of focused beam the same can be made to impinge on the workpiece with a
increased to tens of / . spot size of 10 – 100 μm.
• The kinetic energy of the high velocity
electrons is converted to heat energy as the
electrons strike the work material.
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 Process

• Due to high power density instant melting and vaporisation starts and “melt – vaporisation”
front gradually progresses.
• Finally the molten material, if any at the top of the front, is expelled from the cutting zone by
the high vapour pressure at the lower part.
• the gun in EBM is used in pulsed mode. Holes can be drilled in thin sheets using a single pulse.
• For thicker plates, multiple pulses would be required.
• Electron beam can also be maneuvered using the electromagnetic deflection coils for drilling
holes of any shape.

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Mechanism of Material Removal in EBM

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Equipment

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 Electron Gun

• The basic functions of any electron beam gun are to generate free electrons at the cathode,
accelerate them to a sufficiently high velocity and to focus them over a small spot size
• The cathode is generally made of tungsten or tantalum.
• Such cathode filaments are heated, often inductively, to a temperature of around .
• Such heating leads to thermo-ionic emission of electrons, which is further enhanced by
maintaining very low vacuum within the chamber of the electron beam gun.
• Moreover, this cathode cartridge is highly negatively biased (~150 kV) so that the thermo-ionic
electrons are strongly repelled away from the cathode.
• This cathode is often in the form of a cartridge so that it can be changed very quickly to reduce
down time in case of failure.

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• Just after the cathode, there is an annular bias grid.
• A high negative bias is applied to this grid so that the electrons generated by this cathode do
not diverge and approach the next element, the annular anode, in the form of a beam.
• The annular anode now attracts the electron beam and gradually gets accelerated.
• As they leave the anode section, the electrons may achieve a velocity as high as half the
velocity of light.
• The nature of biasing just after the cathode controls the flow of electrons and the biased grid is
used as a switch to operate the electron beam gun in pulsed mode.

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• After the anode, the electron beam passes through a series of magnetic lenses and apertures.
• The magnetic lenses shape the beam and try to reduce the divergence.
• Apertures on the other hand allow only the convergent electrons to pass and capture the
divergent low energy electrons from the fringes.
• This way, the aperture and the magnetic lenses improve the quality of the electron beam.
• Then the electron beam passes through the final section of the electromagnetic lens and
deflection coil.
• The electromagnetic lens focuses the electron beam to a desired spot.
• The deflection coil can maneuver the electron beam, though by small amount, to improve
shape of the machined holes.

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• Generally in between the electron beam gun and the workpiece, which is also under vacuum,
there would be a series of slotted rotating discs.
• Such discs allow the electron beam to pass and machine materials but helpfully prevent metal
fumes and vapour generated during machining to reach the gun.
• Thus it is essential to synchronize the motion of the rotating disc and pulsing of the electron
beam gun.
• Electron beam guns are also provided with illumination facility and a telescope for alignment of
the beam with the workpiece.
• Workpiece is mounted on a CNC table so that holes of any shape can be machined using the
CNC control and beam deflection in-built in the gun.

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• One of the major requirements of EBM operation of electron beam gun is maintenance of
desired vacuum.
• Level of vacuum within the gun is in the order of to Torr. {1 Torr = 1mm of Hg}
• Maintenance of suitable vacuum is essential so that electrons do not loose their energy and a
significant life of the cathode cartridge is obtained.
• Such vacuum is achieved and maintained using a combination of rotary pump and diffusion
pump.
• Diffusion pump is attached to the diffusion pump port of the electron beam gun.

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1. The workpiece in Electron beam machining is held in
(a) vacuum chamber (b) dielectric medium (c) electrolyte (d) none of these
2. In Electron beam machining, as the electrons strikes the work piece
(a) Electro-chemical etching takes place (b) They get scattered (c) Mechanical erosion in
work piece takes place (d) Their kinetic energy is converted into heat
3. The vacuum in the Electron Beam machining chamber is of the order of
(a) 10-1 to 10-2 torr (b) 10-4 to 10-5 torr (c) 10-6 to 10-7 torr (d) 10-8 to 10-9 torr
4. Electron beam can machine
(a) Conducting materials (b) Non-conducting materials (c) Both of them

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5. In Electron beam machining, the order in which electrons passed after emitted by filament
cathode
(a) diaphragm – anode –focusing lens – Deflector coil
(b) anode – diaphragm – focusing lens – Deflector coil
(c) focusing lens – anode – diaphragm –Deflector coil
(d) Deflector – coil anode – diaphragm – focusing lens
6. The vacuum in Electron beam machining does not allow
(a) Rapid deoxidisation of incandescent filament (b) Rapid oxidation of incandescent
filament (c) Both of them (d) None of them
7. In Electron beam machining beam current varies from
(a) 1A- 40A (b) 10μA-50μA (c) 100μA-1A (d) 100A-1000mA

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