MODULE-4

INTRODUCTION
❑ Chemical machining (ChM) was developed based on the observation that chemicals attack metals and
etch them by using chemical dissolutions.
❑ ChM is the removal of material by chemical attack by a corrosive liquid.
❑ The areas of the work piece which are not to be machined are masked.
❑ The work piece is either immersed in or exposed to a spray of chemical reagent.
❑ ChM was basically developed for aerospace industry to maintain strength of part at reduced weight.
❑ Used in Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs),Jewelery,Pressure vessels etc.

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 INTRODUCTION
❑ An etchant resistant mask, made typically of rubber or plastic is used to protect those parts of the
component from which no material is to be removed.
❑ Part to be machined is defined by any one of the procedures: scribing & removing the coating, exposing
to light & dissolving unexposed region.
❑ Strong acid or alkaline solution is used to dissolve materials selectively.
❑ Chemically resistant coating is applied to protect surfaces not to be machined.

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 ❑ Material removal during ChM takes place both downward and
laterally from the exposed surface (Fig. 16.2).
❑ First one is known as depth of cut (or machined depth) while the
latter is called undercut.
❑ The extent of undercut depends upon the factors like depth of
cut, the type and strength of the etchant, and the workpiece
material.
❑ From process design point of view, the quantification of undercut
is quite important. This is done by what is known as "etch factor"
(Fig. 16.3)
Etch Factor = undercut/machined depth
❑ Total machined depth and extent of undercut are controlled by
controlling the immersion time in the etchant.
❑ To avoid non-uniform machining, gas bubbles being evolved during
the process should not be allowed to get trapped.
❑ When etching is over, the parts are cleaned either mechanically (in
case of thicker and more durable mask), or chemically (more
appropriate for thinner mask and sophisticated parts).
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 Etch factor after CHM

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 STEPS IN CHEMICAL MACHINING
The 4 steps in chemical machining are as follows:

➢ Part preparation: cleaning

➢ Masking: application of chemically resistant material

➢ Etching: dip or spray exposure to etchants

➢ Mask removal and finishing: stripping the maskant and cleaning the part & inspection and

other processing

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 MASKANTS
Maskants are generally used to protect parts of the workpiece where chemical dissolution action is not
needed. Synthetic or rubber base materials are frequently used.

Maskants should possess the following properties:

1. Be tough enough to withstand handling.

2. Adhere well to the workpiece surface.
3. Scribe easily.
4. Be inert to the chemical reagent used.
5. Be able to withstand the heat generated by etching.
6. Be removed easily and inexpensively after etching.

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 ETCHANTS
Etchants are acid or alkaline solutions maintained within a controlled range of chemical composition and
temperature. Their main technical goals are to achieve the following:

1. Good surface finish.

2. Uniformity of metal removal.
3. Control of selective and intergranular attack.
4. Maintenance of personal safety.
5. Best price and reliability for the materials to be used in the construction of the process tank.
6. Maintenance of air quality and avoidance of possible environmental problems.
7. Low cost per unit weight dissolved.
8. Ability to regenerate the etchant solution and/or readily neutralize and dispose of its waste products.

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 Types of masking methods used in ChM
❑ Cut and peel method
❑ Screen resist method
❑ Photo resist method

1. Cut and peel maskants

▪ Film of chemically resistant material is applied to the work piece

by dipping, spraying or flow coating.
▪ Neoprene,butyl,or Vinyl based materials are used.
▪ Thickness of the coating ranges from 0.025-0.13 mm.
▪ Rubbery film is then cut & peeled away selectively from the areas
to be exposed to the etchant.
▪ Manual scribing of mask material usually achieves an accuracy
of ±0.13 mm to ±0.75 mm.

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2. Screen resist maskants
▪ Mask material is applied to the work piece surface by printing, using stencils and a fine polyester
or stainless steel mesh screen.
▪ Relatively thin coatings with tolerances held to ±0.05 to ±0.18 mm are obtained by screen
printing.
▪ Etching depths are restricted to about 1.5 mm because of thinness of the coating.
▪ Used for high volume production with low accuracy.

3. Photo resist maskants

▪ Photo resist mask is quite widely used & is often referred to as photochemical machining.
▪ Produces intricate & finely detailed shapes using a light activated resist materials.
▪ Work Piece coated with photo resist material & a master transparency is held against the work piece,
while exposure to UV rays takes place.
▪ Light activatesthe photo resist material in those areas corresponding to opaque parts.
▪ Tolerances of ±0.025 to 0.005 mm can be produced.

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 CHEMICAL MACHINING PROCESSES

1. Chemical milling

2. Chemical blanking

3. Chemical engraving

4. Photochemical machining

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 Chemical Milling
❑ In chemical milling, shallow cavities are produced on plates, sheets, forgings and extrusions.
❑ The two key materials used in chemical milling process are etchant and maskant.
❑ Etchants are acid or alkaline solutions maintained within controlled ranges of chemical composition and temperature.
❑ Maskants are specially designed elastomeric products that are hand strippable and chemically resistant to the harsh
etchants.
❑ Chemical milling is used in the aerospace industry to remove shallow layers of material from large aircraft components,
missile skin panels, extruded parts for airframes.

Missile skin-panel section

contoured by chemical
milling to improve the
stiffness- to- weight ratio of
the part (Kalpakjain &
Schmid)
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 Chemical blanking

❑ Chemical blanking is used to etch entirely through a metal part.

❑ In chemical blanking, holes and slots that penetrate entirely through the material are produced,
usually in thin sheet materials.
❑ Used to produce fine screens, flat springs, etc…
❑ Very cheap but efficient.

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 Chemical Engraving

Chemical Engraving is the practice of incising a design on to a hard, usually flat surface, by cutting
grooves into it. The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold, steel, or glass are
engraved, or may provide an printing plate, of copper or another metal, for printing images on paper as
prints or illustrations.

Types of engraving
•Wood Engraving

•Copper and Steel Engravings

• Laser engraving

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 Photo Chemical Machining (PCM)
❑ Photochemical machining (PCM) is a variation of chemical machining (ChM) where the chemically resistant
mask is applied to the workpiece by photographic techniques.
❑ The two processes are quite similar because they both use chemicals to remove metal by the Chemical
Dissolution action and some of the steps required in both cases are similar.
❑ ChM is usually used on three dimensional parts originally formed by another manufacturing process, such as
forging and casting of irregular shapes.
❑ As with photochemical machining, areas not to be machined are masked from the Chemical Dissolution
action of the chemical solution.
❑ Photochemical machining creates new parts from thin materials.

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 Photo Chemical Machining (PCM)
Process

❑ The first step includes the production of the required shape on a photographic film or glass plate, termed the photo-
tool.
❑ Computer-aided design (CAD) artwork creates the required part shape, which is used as the primary image for the
photo-tool.
❑ The sheet metal is chemically cleaned, and coated with a light-sensitive photoresist film.
❑ The photoresist will adhere to the part surface and act as a stencil resist protecting the surface during etching.
❑ In some cases, the photoresist is a liquid and the part has to be dip coated and dried.
❑ The resist laminated, or coated, metal is then placed under the photo-tool and exposed, in a vacuum, to an
ultraviolet light source. This transfers the image precisely onto the resist and, after developing, becomes a replica of
the desirable geometry.
❑ The exposed image is then developed by immersion or spraying. Each photoresist has its own developing solution,
such as water, alkaline solution, hydrocarbons, or solvents.
❑ The exposed material is then washed to remove the unexposed photoresist on the areas to be chemically
etched.

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 Process steps for photochemical machining

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 Figure : parts profiled by photochemical machining

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 Advantages of Chemical machining
1. Easy weight reduction.
2. No effect of work piece materials properties such as hardness.
3. Simultaneous material removal operation.
4. No burr formation.
5. No stress introduction to the work piece.
6. Low capital cost of equipment.
7. Easy and quick design changes.
8. Requirement of less skilled worker.
9. Low tooling costs.
10. The good surface quality.
11. Using decorative part production.
12. Low scrap rates (3%).
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 Disadvantages of Chemical machining

1. Difficult to get sharp corner.

2. Difficult to chemically machine thick material (limit is depended on work piece material, but
the thickness should be around maximum 10 mm).
3. Etchants are very dangerous for workers.
4. Scribing accuracy is very limited, causes less dimensional accuracy.
5. Etchant disposals are very expensive.

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 Applications of Chemical machining
❑ Aviation industry for making aircraft wing panels
❑ Printed circuit boards (PCB)
❑ Large turbine engine containment rings.
❑ Milling of spun aluminium pressure vessel bulkheads
❑ Shuttle components
❑ Gaskets
❑ Washers
❑ Sensors
❑ Nameplates
❑ Jewelry
❑ Microprocessor Chips
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 ELECTROCHEMICAL MACHINING
❑ Electrochemical machining is one of the most unconventional machining processes.
❑ The process is actually the reverse of electroplating with some modifications.
❑ It is based on the principle of electrolysis.
❑ In a metal, electricity is conducted by free electrons but in a solution the conduction
of electricity is achieved through the movement of ions.
❑ Thus the flow of current through an electrolyte is always accompanied by the
movement of matter.
❑ In the ECM process the work-piece is connected to a positive electrode and the tool
to the negative terminal for metal removal.

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 ELECTROCHEMICAL MACHINING

As the tool approaches the work piece it erodes the

negative shape of it. Thus complex shapes are made
from soft copper metal and used to produce negative
duplicates of it.
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 ELECTROCHEMICAL REACTIONS

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 Working of ECM
❑ In the actual process of ECM, the cathode is tool shaped(mirror image of work-piece) and anode is the work-piece.
❑ A gap(0.05 to 0.7 mm) is provided between the tool and work-piece and electrolyte flows through the gap at a
velocity of 30 to 60 m/s and it completes the electrical circuit.
❑ Electrolyte is pumped at high pressure of 20 kgf/cm2(1.96 MPa) through the gap.
❑ Electrolyte must be circulated at a rate sufficiently high to conduct current between them and to carry heat.
❑ Metal is removed from the work-piece by dissolution
❑ The electric current is of the order of 50 to 40,000 A at 5 to 35 V D.C for current density of 20 to 300 A/cm2.
❑ Power of 3 KWh is needed to remove 16 cm3 of metal which is almost 30 times the energy required in the
conventional process(when the material is readily machinable).

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 ELECTROCHEMICAL MACHINING
➢ With ECM the rate of metal removal is independent of the
work-piece hardness.
➢ ECM becomes advantageous when either the work material
possesses a very low machinability or the shape to be
machined is complex.
➢ Unlike most other conventional and unconventional processes,
here there is practically no tool wear.
➢ Though it appears that, since machining is done
electrochemically, the tool experiences no force, the fact is that
the tool and work is subjected to large forces exerted by the
high pressure fluid in the gap.

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 Electrochemistry of ECM process
The electrolysis process is governed by the following two laws proposed by Faraday.
1. The amount of chemical change produced by an electric current, that is, the amount of any material dissolved or
deposited, is proportional to the quantity of electricity passed.
2. The amounts of different substances dissolved or deposited by the same quantity of electricity are proportional to
their chemical equivalent weights.

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 Material Removal in ECM Process

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 Material Removal in ECM Process

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 Material Removal in ECM Process

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 Elements of ECM
Important elements of ECM are:
1. Electrolyte
2. Tool (cathode)
3. Work-piece (anode)
4. D.C power supply

Electrolyte:
✓ Common electrolytes used are sodium chloride, sodium nitrate, sodium hydroxide, sodium fluoride, sodium
chlorate, potassium chloride and sulphuric acid.
✓ These solution on reaction produce an insoluble compound in the form of sludge.
✓ Electrolytes used in ECM should be carefully selected so that they provide the necessary reactions without
plating the cathode.
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The main functions of an electrolyte in ECM are:
➢ It carries the current between tool and work-piece.
➢ Allowing the desirable machining reactions to take place
➢ It removes the products of machining and other insoluble products from the cutting region.
➢ It dissipates heat produced in the operation.

The essential characteristics of electrolyte includes:

➢ Good electrical conductivity - easy ionization.
➢ Non-toxicity and chemical stability.
➢ Non-corrosive property.
➢ Low viscosity and high specific heat- for easy flow and to carry more heat.
➢ Resistance to formation of passivizing film on the workpiece surface.

✓ High velocity flow over the electrode surface is one of the key factors of ECM. It is necessary to prevent
crowding of hydrogen gas and debris of machining.

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Tool (cathode):
➢ The most commonly used tool material are copper, brass, titanium, copper tungsten and stainless steels
when electrolyte is made of salts of sodium and potassium.
➢ Titanium has been found to be the most suitable tool where the electrolyte has the tendency to anodize
the tool as in case of sulphuric acid.
➢ The other tool materials are aluminium, graphite, bronze, platinum and tungsten carbide.
➢ The accuracy of tool shape directly affects the work- piece accuracy.
➢ Electro-forming and cold forging are two methods of tool shaping.

The general requirements of tool material in ECM are:

▪ It should be conductor of electricity.
▪ It should be rigid enough to take up the load due to fluid pressure.
▪ It should be chemically inert to the electrolyte.
▪ It should be easily machinable to make it in the desired shape.

Work-piece (anode):
Work-piece should be conductor of electricity. So it is almost limited to metals only.

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 Tools of ECM

❑ The power supply.

❑ The electrolyte circulation system.
❑ The control system.
❑ The machine.

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 TOOL MATERIALS
Properties expected out of the tool material:
➢ High electrical and thermal conductivity.
➢ Good stiffness.
➢ Easy machinability - particularly important if complex shaped tools are required.
➢ High corrosion resistance - to protect itself from the highly corrosive electrolyte solution.
➢ Rigidity - Rigidity of the tool construction and material is important because the high pressure
can cause deflection of the tool.
➢ Easily available.

Generally aluminium, copper, brass, bronze, carbon, copper-manganese, copper-tungsten, titanium,

cupro-nickel and stainless steel are used.

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 Tool design considerations
Two major aspects of tool design:
1. Determining the tool shape so that the desired shape of the job is achieved.
2. Other considerations such as electrolyte flow, insulation, strength and fixing arrangements.

➢ Modification of the tool profile to get the required final surface is relatively complex - FEM can be used to
get the final tool design.
➢ Designer must determine the nature and the extent of the required deviation or gap allowances from the
mirror image configuration, while providing for a uniform and sufficiently high flow rate of electrolyte in
the gap to allow a practical MRR.
➢ Tool dimensions must be slightly different from the nominal mirror dimensions of the completed part to
allow for ECM overcut.
➢ Part and the cathode must have adequate current-carrying capacity.
➢ ECM cell must have strength and rigidity to avoid flutter and arcing.

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 TOOL DESIGN TYPES
1. Most common – open-flow type
2. Cross-flow type for external machining

➢ Because of the interaction of working-tip shape and dimensions, location of insulation, current density
and feed rate, the design of tools for machining complex shapes requires understanding of fluid flow,
electrical and electrochemical principles as well as experience and ingenuity.
➢ Although tool design may be difficult and time consuming, the cost of additional or replacement ECM
tooling is usually much less than that for conventional machining.

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 Dual external cutting tool, cross-flow type
Hole-sinking tool of the open-flow type with insulated side
wall

Tool for enlarging interior section of a hole

Tool for tapering a predrilled hole
Tool for sinking a stepped through hole
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 Electrolytes
Types: Sludging and Nonsludging

Sludging: solutions of typical salts such as NaCl

✓ Salts are generally not depleted and they provide substantial conductivity to the solutioning water.
✓ Hydroxide ions combine with the metal ions that are being removed thus forming insoluble reaction products or
sludge.

a. Sodium chloride or potassium chloride up to 0.25kg/litre

o Widely used because of its low cost and stable conductivity over a broad range of pH values.
o However its corrosive and produces large amount of sludge.

b. Sodium nitrate up to 0.50kg/lit

o Less corrosive but forms a passive film on the workpiece surface – hence not used as a general purpose
electrolyte.
o Used for machining aluminium and copper.

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 Nonsludging:
✓ Strong alkali solutions for e.g. NaOH are used in ECM of heavy metals (such as tungsten and
molybdenum) and their alloys.
✓ Salts are depleted because the sodium ions of the salt join with the metals being removed.
✓ New compounds such as sodium tungstate form during the process and makeup of both the alkali
salts and water are required.
✓ The new compounds in the process are quite soluble in water and heavy precipitate volumes do
not occur. However, there is a tendency for the heavy metals to plate onto the cathode.

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 Design for electrolyte flow

Need for sufficient electrolyte flow between the tool and the workpiece:

❑ To carry away the heat and the products of machining

❑ To assist the machining process at the required feed rate, producing a satisfactory surface finish.
❑ Cavitation, stagnation and vortex formation should be avoided since these lead to bad surface
finish.
❑ There should be no sharp corners in the flow path. All corners in the flow path should have a
radius.

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 When drilling a hole – flow through the hole under high
pressure and exits through the workpiece

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 Reverse flow would be useful since it decreases the metal removed, by leaving a large slug at the
centre of the hole produced; Also best arrangement for the electrolyte flow since the finished surface
is not affected by the electrolyte with the metal debris.

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 Initial shape of the component generally may not comply with the tool shape and only a
small fraction of the area is close to the tool surface at the beginning – the problem of
supplying the electrolyte over such area is overcome by using the flow restriction technique.

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 In many situations, when the initial work conforms to the tool shape, the machining process itself
causes the formation of boss and ridge in the workpiece, which helps in the proper distribution of
the electrolyte flow.

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Tool with an electrolyte supply slot is simple to manufacture, but such a slot leaves small ridges on the
work. However, the ridges can be made very small by making the slot sufficiently narrow.

The flow from a slot takes place in a direction perpendicular to the slot and the flow at the end is poor –
therefore the slot is terminated near the corners of the w/p surface

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 The shape and location of the slot should be such that every portion of the surface is supplied with
electrolyte flow and no passive area exists

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 PROCESS PARAMETERS
❑ MRR with ECM are sufficiently large and comparable with that of the conventional methods.
❑ The rate of material removal in ECM is governed by Faraday’s law and is a function of current density.
❑ Current density is not only controlled by the amount of current that the power supply is delivering, but
also by the size of the IEG.
❑ A small IEG results in the highest current density. However, when its very small, there is a danger of
sludge particles bridging the gap and causing a short circuit.
❑ When the gap is too large, current density is reduced, resulting in a poor surface finish and decreased
MRR.

Other variables that affect the current density and the MRR are:
✓ Voltage
✓ Feed rate
✓ Electrolyte conductivity
✓ Electrolyte composition
✓ Electrolyte flow
✓ Workpiece material

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Voltage
➢ Voltage across the cutting gap influences the current and the MRR and is controlled in most ECM operations.
➢ Low voltage decreases the equilibrium - machining gap and results in a better surface finish and finer tolerance
control.
➢ Increased current leads to electrolyte heating – low temperature of the electrolyte is conducive for a better
surface finish and tolerances.

Feed rate

➢ Feed rate determines the current passed between the tool and the work.
➢ As the tool approaches the work, the length of the conductive path decreases and the magnitude of the current increases.
➢ High feed rate results in higher MRR.
➢ High feed rates also decreases the equilibrium machining gap resulting in improvements of the surface finish and tolerance
control.
➢ Most rapid feed possible is not only highly productive but also produces the best quality of surface finish.
➢ At slower feed rates, the MRR decreases as the gap increases resulting in the rise of resistance and drop in the current.
➢ Limitations of feed rate are removal of hydrogen gas and products of machining.
➢ Also higher feed rate requires fine filtering.

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Electrolyte conductivity
➢ Affects the resistance across the gap.
➢ Increasing the concentration will cause conductivity to rise.
➢ Temperature increases of the electrolyte also increases conductivity.
➢ Low concentration and low temperature will results in lower MRR.

Electrolyte composition
➢ Composition directly influences conductivity,MRR and surface characteristics.
➢ Parameters used for a given application may not yield the same ECM results if a different type of electrolyte is used.
➢ Normal development of an operation begins with the selection of the correct electrolyte. The other parameters and the
cathode are adjusted to get the desired result.
Electrolyte flow rate

➢ The velocity and the electrolyte flow through the gap is also an important parameter affecting the surface finish and MRR.
➢ If the velocity is too low, the heat and by-products of the reaction build in the gap causing non-uniform material removal.
➢ A velocity that is too high will cause cavitation, also promoting uneven material removal.
➢ Increased electrolyte velocities require larger electrolyte pumps that add capital cost to the system.
➢ Pressure control is the method of controlling the flow rate.

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 Accuracy of ECM
There are number of factors which govern the accuracy of the parts produced by ECM. The major ones are:
1. Machining voltage.
2. Feed rate of electrode (tool).
3. Temperature of electrolyte.
4. Concentration of electrolyte.

➢ Under ideal conditions with properly designed tooling, ECM is capable of holding tolerances of ±0.02 mm.
➢ Surface finish in ECM is of the order of 0.2 to 0.8 micron.
➢ No burrs and sharp edges are left on the work-piece.

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 ECM-ADVANTAGES
➢ Ability to machine complex 3D curved surfaces without feed marks.
➢ Machines complicated shapes in single pass.
➢ Capable of machining metals and alloys irrespective of their strength and hardness.
➢ Since metal removal is by metallic ion exchange, there are no cutting forces and the workpiece is left in
a stress free state – very thin sections can be machined.
➢ There is little or no tool wear – so large number of components can be machined without replacing the
tool.
➢ Not subjected to high temperatures.
➢ Burr free.
➢ Good surface finish.
➢ Good accuracy and tolerance.
➢ Low machining time.
➢ Low scrap.
➢ Automatic operation

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 ECM-DISADVANTAGES
➢ Work must be electrically conductive.
➢ Inability to machine sharp interior edges and corners.
➢ Large power consumption and related problems (heavy initial investment).
➢ Post machining cleaning is a must to reduce the corrosion of the workpiece and ECM machine.
➢ Tool design is complicated and needs cut and try methods to achieve the final shape.
➢ Although the parts produced by ECM are stress free, they are found to have fatigue strength or
endurance limit lowered by approximately 10-25%. So may require post treatment (shot peening) to
restore the strength especially for situations where fatigue strength is critical.
➢ Additional problems related to machine tool requirements: power supply, electrolyte handling and tool
feed servo system.
➢ High maintenance.
➢ Can cause intergranular attack (IGA).
➢ High tooling and set-up costs.

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 ECM-APPLICATIONS
➢ Aerospace industries: machining gas turbine blades, airframe component fabrication, honey-comb aircraft
panels, jet engine blade airfoils.
➢ Manufacture of general machine parts: thin wall mechanical slotting, difficult to machine hollow shafts,
chain pinions, internal profile of internal cams, driving joints, pump glands and impellers, connecting rod,
hydraulic spools, gear wheels.
➢ Facing and turning complex 3D surfaces.
➢ Die sinking, particularly deep narrow slots and holes.
➢ Profiling and any odd shape contouring.
➢ Multiple hole drilling.
➢ Trepanning.
➢ Broaching.
➢ Deburring.
➢ Grinding.
➢ Honing.
➢ Cutting off.

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 Applications of ECM
❑ Die sinking
❑ Profiling and contouring
❑ Trepanning
❑ Grinding, Drilling and Micro-machining

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 Applications of ECM

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 Applications of ECM

Airfoils machined directly on a compressor disk Cutting spiral grooves in a friction plate

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 Applications of ECM

Finishing of a conical hole in a nozzle Cutting multiple small cavities in Inconel 718

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 ELECTROCHEMICAL GRINDING (ECG)
❑ The process is similar to ECM except that cathode is a specially constructed grinding wheel instead of a
cathodic shaped tool.
❑ The insulating abrasive material (diamond or aluminum oxide) of the grinding wheel is set in a conductive
bonding.
❑ The wheel is a rotating cathodic tool with abrasive particles on its periphery.
❑ Electrolyte flow, usually NaNO3, is provided for ECD (Electro chemical dissolution).

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 ECG-Working Principle
❑ The wheel rotates at a surface speed of 20 to 35 m/s while current ratings are from 50 to 300 A.
❑ When a gap voltage of 4 to 40 V is applied
between the cathodic grinding wheel and the anodic workpiece ,a current density of about 120 to 240 A/cm2
is created.
❑ The current density depends on the material being machined, the gap width, and the applied voltage.

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 ECG machining system components

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 ECG- MRR
➢ Removal rates by ECG are 4 times faster than by conventional grinding, and ECG always produces burr-free parts
that are unstressed.
➢ The volumetric removal rate (VRR) is typically 1600 mm3/min.

The volumetric removal rate (mm3/min) in ECG can be calculated using the following equation:

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 Applications

❑ Machining parts made from difficult -to-cut materials, such as sintered carbides, creep-resisting
(Inconel, Nimonic) alloys, titanium alloys, and metallic composites.
❑ Applications similar to milling, grinding, cutting off, sawing, and tool and cutter sharpening.
❑ Production of tungsten carbide cutting tools, fragile parts, and thin walled tubes.
❑ Producing specimens for metal fatigue and tensile tests.
❑ Machining of carbides and variety of high-strength alloys.

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 ELECTROCHEMICAL HONING
❑ It is a process in which it combines the high removal characteristics of Electrochemical Dissolution(ECD) and Mechanical
Abrasion(MA) of conventional Honing.
❑ It has much higher rates than either of honing & internal cylindrical grinding.
❑ Cathodic tool is similar to the conventional honing tool, with several rows of small holes so that electrolyte could enter
directly into interelectrode gap.
❑ Electrolyte provides electron through the ionization process which acts as coolant and flushes away the chips that are
formed off by mechanical abrasion and metal sludge that results from electrochemical dissolution action.

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 Electrochemical Honing-Process
➢ Tool is inserted inside the worked hole or a cylinder.
➢ Mechanical abrasion takes place first by the stones/hones.
➢ Oxides formed due to working from previous process will be removed by it and clean surface will be achieved.
➢ Now the clean surface will be in contact with electrolyte and then Electrochemical Dissolution will remove the desired
material.
➢ Same procedure is continued till the required cut is made.
➢ To control surface roughness Mechanical Abrasion is allowed to continue for a few seconds after the current has been
turned off.
➢ Majority of the material is removed by the ECD phase.
➢ Abrading stones remove enough material to generate a round, straight, geometrically true cylinder.
➢ Mechanical abrasion just removes the surface oxides that are formed on the work surface due to ECD.
➢ Removal of oxides enhances the performance of ECD as it could directly remove the required material and fresh
surface is obtained for each ECD phase.

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 Process Characteristics
➢ Abrasive stones are used to maintain the gap size of 0.075 to 0.250mm.
➢ Surface finish ranges from: 0.2 to 0.8µm.
➢ Electrolyte temperature is nearly maintained at 38-400C.
➢ Pressure of 1000kPa.
➢ Flow Rate: 95 L/min.
➢ DC Current is used.
➢ Voltage gap of 6 to 30V is kept accordingly.
➢ Current Density of 465 A/cm2

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 Applications
➢ Due to rotating and reciprocating honing motion, the process reduces the errors in roundness through the rotary
motion.
➢ Taper and waviness errors can also be reduced.

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