Development of Electrochemical
Micromachining (ECMM) Setup
Deependra Singh1, Piyush Bardia1, Mohamed Iqram1, Gautam Gupta1,
Mayank Sinha1, Akshay Agarwal1, Vinod Yadav2
Abstract— Electrochemical micromachining
(ECMM) is considered as a viable micromachining for
the fabrication of micro-features, micro-holes, micro-
slots and micro-channels in electrically conductive
difficult to machine workpiece materials. This paper
presents the in-house development if an ECMM table
top setup in sinking configuration including power
supply system, electrolyte supply system and electrode
feeding system. A preliminary observation about the
hole profile made by sinking ECMM is measured
using optical measuring microscope and reported in
this paper.
Keywords — micromachining,
electrochemical micromachining, pulsed power
supply, inter electrode gap control, hole,
circularity
I. INTRODUCTION
In the recent years, numerous developments in
ECM have focused on the fabrication of micro
products made of difficult to machine electrically
conductive materials. Electrochemical
micromachining (ECMM) is an emerging
technology having potential of machining
through and blind-micro holes, micro-grooves,
micro-slots and complex micro contours. ECMM
is more appropriate for micromachining
applications due to its inherent advantageous
features such as tool wear and zero heat affected
layer in workpiece. The process is also capable
to machine wider range of materials with
controlled material removal, better precision and
high surface quality.
Current ECMM technology used for
fabricating micro features can be categorized
into nine different configurations: Die Sinking-
ECMM, Die Drilling-ECMM, Hole Sinking-
ECMM, Hole Drilling-ECMM, Wire Cutting-
1 electrolyte, and also the anode reactions. If IEG
Deependra Singh et al., Senior undergraduate students at
Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology Allahabad. e-
mail: deependra.singh.mech@gmail.com
2
V. Yadav, Professor at Motilal Nehru National Institute
of Technology Allahabad. e-mail: vinody@mnnit.ac.in
ECMM, Disk Cutting-ECMM, Pocket Milling-
ECMM, Cylindrical Grinding-ECMM and
Surface Grinding-ECMM. Sinking-ECMM
configurations are used for making non-
symmetrical cavities or holes using non rotating
micro tools. Drilling configurations are used for
fabricating symmetrical cavities or holes using
rotating micro tools. Milling configurations are
used for fabricating 3D pockets by adapting a
movement strategy similar to that in
conventional milling. In grinding configuration
of ECMM no abrasive wheel is used but a disk
shape base wheel is allowed to rotate against a
cylindrical workpiece or flat workpiece. This
paper presents in-house development of ECMM
table top setup in sinking configuration capable
to produce micro holes and micro cavities.
II. FUNDAMENTALS OF ECMM
ECMM works on the principle of faraday’s
laws of electrolysis for the removal of material.
The removed material is flushed out using
electrolyte jet. The gap between the workpiece
and micro tool is accurately controlled and the
tool is fed accordingly. Finely, negative shape of
tool is created in the workpiece. The way of
material removal, anodic reactions, mass
transport and electrolyte circulation is described
here.
A. Material removal in ECMM
In the machining region where the workpiece
directly faces the cathode tool, the anodic
reaction rate is constant for a constant Inter-
Electrode Gap (IEG) and the electrolyte
conductivity. The machining performance is
influenced by various predominant process
parameters, such as current density, IEG,
electrolyte flow rate, concentration and type of
is reduced, the resolution of machining shape
becomes better. Material removal is maximum
for small IEG. Experimental results have proved
that the addition of a magnetic field causes
increase in material removal rate and accuracy
[9]. The material removal rate is expressed in
terms of unit removal (UR) in the micro-
machining domain [9]. UR is defined as a unit of
workpiece removed during one cycle/pulse of
machining [14].
B. Anodic reaction
Depending on the operating conditions and
metal electrolyte combinations, different anodic
reactions take place at high current densities. The
rates of these reactions are dependent on the
ability of the system to remove the reaction
products as soon as they are formed and supply
fresh electrolyte to the anode surface. All of
these factors influence the machining
performance, namely dissolution rate, shape
control and surface finish of the workpiece. The
current efficiency of metal dissolution, η is
related to weight loss, ∆w by
∆wZF
η=
Ita (1)
where I is the applied current, t is the
machining time, F is Faraday’s constant, Z is the
valence of metal dissolution and a is the
molecular weight of the metal. Actually, the
dissolution valence v will influence the metal
removal and is related to the UR as follows:
Iaη
UR =
pZFAρ (2)
where ρ is the density in g/m3, A is the surface
area in m2 and p is the number of pulse/unit time.
Current efficiency for metal dissolution, which is
a function of current density and local flow
conditions, varies as a function of distance from
the tool.
C. Mass transport
Mass transport processes influence the EMM
performance in several ways. First, they
influence the maximum rate of an
electrodissolution reaction, thus giving rise to a
so called limiting current; second, mass
transport-controlled anodic reactions affect the
morphology of dissolved surfaces; and finally,
mass transport processes influence the
macroscopic and microscopic current
distribution on the workpiece. An understanding
of mass transport effects are, therefore, a
prerequisite for he development of ECMM
processes [1].
During anodic dissolution, the
concentration at the anode surface can be
significantly different from that of the bulk.
These concentrations are mainly determined by
the rate of mass transport, transport mechanisms
and diffusion layer thickness which play an
important role in high-rate anodic dissolution
process. Metal ions produced at the anode are
transported into the solution by convective
diffusion and migration. To maintain
electroneutrality, electrolyte anions accumulate
from the anode to be compensated by the rate of
migration towards the anode. The extent of ion
build-up depends on the current density, metal
dissolution efficiency, and hydrodynamic
conditions.
Fig. 1 Nerst diffusion layer concept describing
mass transport at the dissolving anode surface. A
typical anodic polarization curve exhibiting a
limiting current is also included (inset) [1].
The Nernst diffusion layer concept has been
used frequently to obtain a simplified description
of mass transport effects in high-rate dissolution
of metals. A stagnant diffusion layer of thickness
δ is thus assumed to exist at the anode as shown
in fig. 1. Inside the diffusion layer, a
concentration gradient exists and the transport
occurs exclusively by diffusion. Outside the
diffusion layer, transport occurs by convection
and the electrolyte concentration is assumed to
be constant.
For an anodic reaction that is controlled
by convective mass transport, the anodic current
density, I, is given by
C s − Cb
I = nFD
δ (3)
Where D is the effective diffusion coefficient
that takes into account the contributions from
transport by migration, CS is the surface
concentration, Cb is the bulk concentration, and δ
is the diffusion layer thickness.
Current distribution and accuracy of the job
can be affected by the mass transport conditions.
An increase in current density leads to an
increase in the rate of metal dissolution at the
anode. In anodic dissolution, salt film
mechanism and acceptor mechanism have been
identified for mass transport. In the salt film
mechanism, the rate of transport of dissolution
products from the anode surface is rate limiting.
In high rate anodic dissolution in neutral
electrolyte, the transport of reaction products
away from the anode is rate limiting and salt film
precipitation occurs at the surface of the anode.
In the acceptor mechanism, the limiting factor is
the rate of transport towards the anode of
acceptor types such as complexing ions; these
varieties react with the dissolved metal ions to
form hydrated complex ions. In EMM, a smooth
surface finish can be achieved only at limiting
current density. If the current density is too high,
it may cause the formation of heat-affected
zones, and it finally results in improper surface
finish and low accuracy. The limiting current
density is governed by convective mass
transport; the anodic limiting current density J is
given by
vFDC S
J=
δ (4)
where D is the effective diffusion coefficient,
which takes into account the contribution from
transport by migration, Cs is the surface
concentration, δ is the diffusion layer thickness
and ν is velocity flow rate.
D. Electrolyte
The electrolyte completes the electric circuit
between the tool and workpiece, and allows the
desired machining reactions to occur. It also
carries away heat and reaction products from the
machining zone. The electrolytes are classified
into two categories: passivating electrolytes
containing oxidizing anions, e.g. sodium nitrate,
sodium chlorate, and non-passivating
electrolytes containing relatively aggressive
anions such as sodium chloride. Passivating
electrolytes generally give better machining
precision [14]. The electrolyte must possess less
throwing power to increase the accuracy. For
neutral electrolyte, sodium nitrate is more
advantageous than sodium chloride due to its
lower throwing power, and highly controlled
metal removal, which increases the accuracy in
machining. Since the precipitate from reaction
increases the possibility of short circuit between
tool and workpiece, it is preferable to use fresh
and clean electrolyte instead of re-circulated one.
The pH value of the electrolyte solution is
chosen to ensure good dissolution of the
workpiece material during the machining without
affecting the tool. Acidic electrolytes are
preferable in micro ECM because they do not
create insoluble reaction products. It is also usual
to use neutral electrolyte such as sodium nitrate.
Some chemicals like NaHSO4 can be added with
specific concentrations that do not affect the
process adversely. It was also found that
hydrochloric acid solution is useful in fine-hole
drilling because it dissolves the metal hydroxides
as they are produced. Recently, it was reported
that less toxic and dilute electrolyte, 0.1 M
H2SO4 can be applied for the machining of
stainless steel with ultra-short pulses [9].
Although resolution is improved at lower
concentrations, there is a lower limit to
concentration that can be used. For example, an
experiment was attempted unsuccessfully with
an electrolyte concentration of 0.01 M HCl [10].
At this low ionic concentration, the ion- content
in the small gap between the electrodes is
insufficient to supply the charge carriers
necessary to complete the charging of the double
layer capacitance. It was possible to add small
amounts of other ionic species such as NaCl or
KCl to the 0.01 M HCl solution to increase the
total electrolyte concentration and thus create an
environment with enough solution conductivity
to support electrochemistry. For Ni the
electrochemical reaction critical point was rather
independent of high acid or chloride
concentration, i.e. the chemical nature of the
electrolyte, and depends mainly on bulk
electrolyte conductivity and ionic strength [10].
III. DEVELOPMENT OF SINKING-ECMM SETUP
Basic theoretical and fundamental research
work and preliminary industrial practice have
indicated that ECMM using pulsed current offers
considerable potential for enhancement of the
ECM process [11]. The high current density
required for proper operation of the ECMM
process may give a high concentration of
reaction products, which can only be partly
removed by the electrolyte, especially if the
inter-electrode gap is narrow. Increasing
contamination can cause deposition on the micro
tool, so the workpiece material no longer
dissolves uniformly. Furthermore, changes in the
electrolyte composition may cause a raise in
temperature, and hence the electrical resistivity
can also decrease the accuracy. These problems
can be largely avoided by applying a pulsed
voltage instead of a continuous voltage.
Pulsating current has three parameters: pulse on-
time, pulse off-time and peak current density,
which can be varied independently in order to
achieve the desired machining rate. It can also
help to control the dimensional accuracy and
surface finish.

Fig. 2 Pulsed Power Supply [12]
The IEG should be as small as possible. If the
electrode gap is kept small, the resolution of the
machined shape becomes better and the
possibility of applying ECM to micro-machining
increases. Localization of the dissolution process
can be increased by reducing the gap width. The
gap width is the only parameter characterizing
the micro-machining precision. It can also
increase accuracy and unit removal. In the EMM
process, the IEG is kept in the order of 10–50
µm. Maintaining the specific range of IEG, i.e.
15–20 µm uniformly is an important requirement
to achieve high accuracy and surface finish. The
electrical conduction method for maintaining the
electrode gap distance between the tool electrode
and workpiece can be applied. Around 1 V can
be applied between the tool electrode and the
workpiece for measuring the current so that the
electrical contact of the micro tool electrode with
the workpiece can be checked. In a pulsed EMM
system, the IEG and tool position monitoring can
be conducted during pulse off-time, leading to a
significant reduction in the indeterminacy of the
gap. Machining inaccuracy is directly
proportional to the IEG size.
Tool feed goes hand in hand with IEG. The
motor actuation is controlled by Atmega32
microcontroller. The microcontroller is attached
with computer in turn to provide feedback.
Although pulse generator is separate from
actuation system, they have been inter-related
with high frequency feedback.
A. Pulsed power supply
Pulsed power supply is created with IC555.
The noise induced while generating pulses was
removed to with 10nF capacitor. The duty cycle
and frequency can be varied according to need.
The only limitation arises from use of IC555 is
with duty cycle. The duty cycle in present circuit
cannot be reduced to less than 50%. The
available options apart from using IC555 are
crystals. 16MHz crystal coupled with Atmega32
is capable of producing pulses of varying duty
cycles, as per our need, and pulses up to 57ns.
These ultrashort pulses are thought to be capable
enough to machine workpiece of appropriate
accuracy as observed by Cagnon et al. [9].
Preliminary tests have been conducted on two
frequencies namely 0.05MHz and 0.5MHz. The
schematic of pulse generator primary circuit can
be shown as in fig. 3.
Fig. 3 Schematic of pulse generator circuit
The amplitude of pulses generated from IC555
is of transistor-transistor logic (TTL) and varies
from 0-5V. The amplitude of machining pulses
can be modified by using metal–oxide–
semiconductor field-effect transistor which can
also operate as a high frequency switch. The
operating voltage amplitude has been
successfully modified up to 20V.
B. Feedback and tool feeding system
The feedback system is driven by controller
that computes the required feed and actuates the
motor accordingly. Also it is controller that is
fed with external interrupts that provides human
interface with it. The controller is connected with
computer that keeps check on the machining
parameters. Any human interface difficult with
external interrupts can be compensated with
computer control. The code for controller is
written in C and is compiled and dumped using
Atmega AVR studio. This gives the flexibility to
operate the setup in absence of any human
presence as well as provides controls for human
interface. The schematic of feedback circuit is as
shown in fig. 4.
Fig. 4 Schematic feedback and controller circuit
The assurance of generator
constant TTL supply is
provided with IC7805. The driver for actuating
DC motor is L298 which is controlled via
controller through Pulse Width Modulation
(PWM). PWM is successfully utilized to actuate
the motor according to the difference present in
required operating voltage and voltage present
between tool and workpiece operating voltages.
Tool driving system consists of ball screw
bearing mechanism. Mechanical actuator is
present in form of DC motor. The motion of
motor is rotatory and is converted into linear
motion with the help of lead screw. The
constraint for making nut on lead screw move in
linear motion direction is provided in form
bearing ways.
Fig. 5 3D model of tool driving
system
C. Electrolyte circulation system
Maintaining a proper flow of electrolyte to the
machining chamber is the ultimate aim of any
design of electrolyte circulation system. To
achieve this, various methods have been carried
out. Three step chamber system is very common
out of all. The particles which are removed by
machining are filtered by filters of various
thicknesses and then cleaned electrolyte is
supplied to the electrolyte supply tank by means
of a pump. This process should continue for a
long period of time without any error to make
the machining smooth, because machining time
for a through hole can span over hours, therefore
it is requisite to design a model which has proper
supply and an effective filtering system which
lasts long enough till the machining is complete.
Fig. 6 Schematic of Electrolyte circulation system
Extensive calculations have been performed in
order to obtain appropriate elevations for each
chamber and losses at various points. Entire
circulation system is optimized and
accommodated with tool feeding system in order
to obtain seamless flow of electrolyte (Fig. 7).
Fig. 7 3D model of tool driving system in
combination with electrolyte circulation
system
IV. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
ECMM table top setup has namely powers
supply, feedback control, tool feeding and
electrolyte circulation systems. The tool feed has
been successfully maintained upto 0.1 µm per
operating pulse. The controller takes and records
the feedback at 125kHz and hence computes the
required feed at the same mentioned rate. Power
supply has been demonstrated to work at various
duty cycles and operating frequencies up to
0.5MHz. Successful regulation of electrolyte
flow through tool has been achieved for
electrolyte flow rate of up to 1 m/s.
Preliminary tests were conducted with
0.05MHz (duty factor: 0.67) and 0.1N NaCl
solution. A through hole drilled with above
mentioned parameters provided results as shown
in Fig. 8.

Fig. 8 Optical Measuring Microscope (OMM)
image of through hole
Above captured image is analyzed with image
processing software to provide with best fit circle
for circular profile. The contour hence obtained
from the software is handy to find the circularity
and applicability of developed set up.
Fig. 9 Contour of image of through hole
Preliminary tests show the appropriateness of
developed set up for machining. Surface finish
and quality of machined surface is expected to
improve with further optimization of the set up.
Developed set up has fulfilled the expected
objectives to a large extent and can further be
improved with proper calibration of machining
parameters. Further experimentation and
calibration is underway and it is expected to
provide set up that can be used in more
applications than used till now. Overall
dimensions are reduced to a large extent in
comparison to the commercially produced mini-
ECM [13].
V. CONCLUSIONS
The ECMM setup has been developed in-
house successfully. The setup is capable to
machine holes of different profile whether it is
symmetric or non symmetric. The developed
ECMM setup is performing all required activities
for machining such as power supply, electrolyte
supply and tool feeding. The circular crossection
hole produced shows very small circularity error.
Many challenging activities required for the
improvement of present setup needs further
research effective utilization.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The author is grateful to his seniors who
helped and guided the project in direction.
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