Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Introduction of Unconventional
Introduction of Unconventional
3500
1400
700 350
Al
1915
1930
Comp-1/Newage/Uncmp-1II print/22.5.07
7.6.07
30.6.07
13.9.07
18.9.07
Every time new tools, tool materials, and power sources are utilized, the efficiency and capabilities of manufacturers are greatly enhanced. Since 1940s, a revolution in manufacturing has been taking place that once again allows manufactuers to meet the demands imposed by increasingly sophisticated designs and durable but in many cases nearly unmachinable, materials. In the figure 1.1, Merchant had displayed the gradual increase in strength of material with year wise development of material in aerospace industry. This manufacturing revolution is now, as it has been in the past, centered on the use of new tools and new forms of energy. The result has been the introduction of new manufacturing processes used for material removal, forming and joining, known today as non-traditional manufacturing processes. The conventional manufacturing processes in use today for material removal primarily rely on electric motors and hard tool materials to perform tasks such as sawing, drilling and broaching. Conventional forming operations are performed with the energy from electric motors, hydraulics and gravity. Likewise, material joining is conventionally accomplished with thermal energy sources such as burning gases and electric arcs. In contrast, non-traditional manufacturing processes harness energy sources considered unconventional by yesterdays standards. Material removal can now be accomplished with electrochemical reaction, high temperature plasmas and high-velocity jets of liquids and abrasives. Materials that in the past have been extremely difficult to form, are now formed with magnetic fields, explosives and the shock waves from powerful electric sparks. Material-joining capabilities have been expanded with the use of high-frequency sound waves and beams of electrons and coherent light. During the last 55 years, over 20 different non-traditional manufacturing processes have been invented and successfully implemented into production.
Thermo-electrical
Fusion
Source of immediate energy Pneumatic or hydraulic pressure High current Chemically reactive agent
Cutting tool
Ionised material
Transfer energy medium High velocity particles High velocity liquid Electrolyte
Physical contact
Environment
Electron
Radiation
Hot gases
Chemical etching
Ultrasonic machining
Physical parameters
The physical parameters of non-conventional machining processes have a direct impact on the metal removal as well as on the energy consumed in different processes. (Table 1.2) TABLE 1.2. Physical Parameters of the Non-conventional Processes
Parameters Potential (V) Current (Amp) USM 220 12 (A.C.) 2400 0.25 AJM 220 1.0 ECM 10 10000 (D.C.) 100000 0.20 CHM EDM 45 50 (Pulsed D.C.) 2700 0.025 EBM 150000 0.001 (Pulsed D.C.) 150 100 Vaccum LBM 4500 2 (Average 200 Peak) 150 Air PAM 100 500 (D.C.) 50000 7.5 Argon or hydrogen
220 0.75
From a comparative study of the effect of metal removal rate on the power consumed by various non-conventional machining processes shown in fig. 1.2.
10
5
ECM PAM
10
10
USM AJM
EB M
EDM
MCG
10
1 0
10 10 10
LBM
1
10
10
10
It is found that some of the processes (e.g. EBM, ECM) above the mean power consumption line consume a greater amount of power than the processes (e.g. EDM, PAM, ECG) below the mean power consumption line. Thus, the capital cost involved in the processes (EBM, ECM etc.) lying above the mean line is high whereas for the processes below that line (e.g., EDM, PAM, MCG) is comparatively low.
Capability to shape
The capability of different processes can be analysed on the basis of various machining operation point of view such as micro-drilling, drilling, cavity sinking, pocketing (shallow and deep), contouring a surface, through cutting (shallow and deep) etc. TABLE 1.3. Shape Application of Non-conventional Processes
Holes Process Precision small holes Standard Trough cavities Precision standard Surfacing Double contouring Surface of revolution Trough cutting Shallow deep
Dia Dia Length Length < .025 > .025 < 20 mm > 20 mm mm mm USM AJM ECM CHM EDM LBM PAM fair good fair good good fair good good fair fair poor poor good fair poor good poor fair poor good poor poor good fair good fair good poor poor poor good fair fair poor poor good good good poor good good good fair good
For micro-drilling operation, the only process which has good capability to microl < 20, drill is laser beam machining while for drilling shapes having slenderness ratio, D the process USM, ECM and EDM will be most suitable. EDM and ECM processes have good capability to make pocketing operation (shallow or deep). For surface contouring operation, ECM process is most suitable but other processes except EDM have no application for contouring operation.
Applicability to materials
Materials applications of the various machining methods are summarised in the table 1.4 and table 1.5. For the machining of electrically non-conducting materials, both ECM and EDM are unsuitable, whereas the mechanical methods can achieve the desired results. TABLE 1.4
Metals Alloys Process USM AJM ECM CHM EDM EBM LBM PAM Aluminium Poor Fair Fair Good Fair Fair Fair Good Steel Fair Fair Good Good Good Fair Fair Good Super alloy Poor Good Good Fair Good Fair Fair Good Titanium Fair Fair Fair Fair Good Fair Fair Fair Refractory material Good Good Fair Poor Good Good Poor Poor
USM is suitable for machining of refractory type of material while AJM are for super alloys and refractory materials. TABLE 1.5
Non-Metals Process USM AJM ECM CHM EDM EBM LBM PAM Ceramics Good Good Poor Good Good Plastic Fair Fair Poor Fair Fair Poor Glass Good Good Fair Fair Fair
Machining characteristics
The machining characteristics of different non-conventional processes can be analysed with respect to : (i) Metal removal rate (ii) Tolerance maintained (iii) Surface finish obtained (iv) Depth of surface damage (v) Power required for machining The process capabilities of non-conventional manufacturing processes have been compared in table 1.6. The metal removal rates by ECM and PAM are respectively one-fourth and 1.25 times that of conventional whereas others are only a small fractions of it. Power requirement of ECM and PAM is also very high when compared with other non-conventional machining processes. This involves higher capital cost for those processes. ECM has very low tool wear rate but it has certain fairly serious problems regarding the contamination of the electrolyte used and the corrosion of machine parts. The surface finish and tolerance obtained by various processes except PAM is satisfactory. TABLE 1.6
Process USM AJM ECM CHM EDM EBM LBM PAM Conventional machining MRR (mm3/min) 300 0.8 15000 15 800 1.6 0.1 75000 50000 Tolerance () 7.5 50 50 50 15 25 25 125 50 Surface () CLA 0.20.5 0.51.2 0.12.5 0.52.5 0.21.2 0.52.5 0.51.2 Rough 0.55.0 Depth of surface damage () 25 2.5 5.0 50 125 250 125 500 25 Power (watts) 2400 250 100000 2700 150 (average) 2000 (peak) 2 (average) 50000 3000
TABLE 1.7
Process USM AJM ECM CHM EDM EBM LBM PAM MCG Capital cost L VL VH M M H L VL L Tooling cost L L M L H L L L L Power consumption cost L L M H* L L VL VL L Material removal rate efficiency H H L M H VH VH VL VL Tool wear M L VL VL H VL VL VL L
The capital cost of ECM is very high when compared with traditional mechanical contour grinding and other non-conventional machining processes whereas capital costs for AJM and PAM are comparatively low. EDM has got higher tooling cost than other machining processes. Power consumption is very low for PAM and LBM processes whereas it is greater in case of ECM. The metal removal efficiency is very high for EBM and LBM than for other processes. In conclusion, the suitability of application of any of the processes is dependent upon various factors and must be considered all or some of them before applying nonconventional processes.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. Justify the need of unconventional manufacturing process in todays industries. 2. What are the basic limitations of conventional manufacturing process ? Explain. 3. What are the basic factors upon which the unconventional manufacturing processes are classified ? Explain. 4. List five conventional and five related unconventional manufacturing processes used in industries. 5. Distinguish between conventional and unconventional manufacturing processes. 6. Why are the unconventional manufacturing processes not completely taking over the conventional manufacturing processes ? Explain. 7. Unconventional machining processes yield low rates of material removal compared to conventional processes even then they have gained wide popularity. Discuss why ? 8. Enumerate the limitations of conventional manufacturing processes particularly in the light of present day manufacturing environment. 9. ECM, EDM, USM etc. are commonly referred to as unconventional machining processes, what is unconventional in these processes ? Explain.
HHH