Module 3

Electric Discharge Machining (EDM):- Mechanism of metal removal, dielectric fluid, spark
generation, recast layer and attributes of process characteristics on MRR, accuracy, HAZ etc,
Wire EDM, applications and accessories.
Ultrasonic Machining (USM):-mechanics of cutting, effects of parameters on amplitude,
frequency of vibration, grain diameter, slurry, tool material attributes and hardness of work
material, applications.
Electro chemical machining (ECM):- Mechanism of metal removal attributes of process
characteristics on MRR, accuracy, surface roughness etc, application and limitations.

Electric Discharge Machining (EDM):-

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EDM is a thermoelectric process in which heat energy of a spark is used

to remove material from the workpiece. The workpiece and tool should be
made of electrically conductive materials. A spark is produced b/w the two
electrodes and its location is determined by the narrow gab b/w the two.
Duration of spark is very short, the entire cycle time is usually few micro-
seconds. The frequency of sparking may be as high as thousands of
sparks per second. The area over which a spark is effective is very small.
However, temperature of the area under the spark is very high. As a
result, the spark energy is capable of partly melting and partly vaporizing
material is removed in the form localized area on both the electrodes, i.e.
workpiece and tool. The martial is removed in the form of craters which
spread over the entire surface of the workpiece. Finally, the cavity
produced in the workpiece is approximately the replica of the tool. To have
machined cavity as replica of the tool, he tool wear should be zero.

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Particles eroded from the electrode are known as debris. Analysis of the
debris has revealed that it is the mixture of irregular shaped particles as
well as hollow spherical particles. Usually the amount of material eroded
from the tool surface is much smaller than that from the workpiece
surface. A very small gap b/w the two electrodes is to be maintained to
have the spark to occur. For this purpose, a tool driven by the servo
system is continuously moved towards the workpiece.
A series of voltage pulses (Fig. 5.2) of magnitude about20 to 120 V and
frequency on the order of 5 kHz is applied between the two electrodes,
which are separated by a small gap, typically 0.01 to 0.5 mm. When using
RC (relaxation circuit) generators, the voltage pulses, shown in Fig. 5.3,
are responsible for material removal. The application of voltage pulses, as
shown in Fig. 5.4, causes electrical breakdown to the dielectric in a
channel of radius 10 µm. The breakdown arises from the acceleration
toward the anode of both electrons emitted from the cathode by the
applied field and the stray electrons present in the gap. These electrons
collide with neutral atoms of the dielectric, thereby creating positive ions
and further electrons, which in turn are accelerated respectively toward
the cathode and anode.

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When the electrons and the positive ions reach the anode and cathode,
they give up their kinetic energy in the form of heat. Temperatures of
about 8000 to 12,000°C and heat fluxes up to 1017 W/m2 are attained.
With a very short duration spark of typically between 0.1 to 2000 µs the

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temperature of the electrodes can be raised locally to more than their
normal boiling points. Owing to the evaporation of the dielectric, the
pressure on the plasma channel rises rapidly to values as high as 200
atmospheres. Such great pressures prevent the evaporation of the
superheated metal.

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Fresh dielectric fluid rushes in, flushing the debris away and quenching
the surface of the workpiece. Unexpelled molten metal solidifies to form
what is known as the recast layer. The expelled metal solidifies into tiny
spheres dispersed in the dielectric liquid along with bits from the
electrode. The remaining vapor rises to the surface. Without a sufficient
off time, debris would collect making the spark unstable. This situation
creates an arc, which damages the electrode and the workpiece. The
relation between the amount of material removed from the anode and
cathode depends on the respective contribution of the electrons and
positive ions to the total current flow. The electron current predominates
in the early stages of the discharge. Since the positive ions are roughly
104 times more massive than electrons, they are less easily mobilized
than the electrons. Consequently the erosion of the anode workpiece
should be greater than that of the cathode. At the end of the EDM action,
the plasma channel increases in width, and the current density across the
interelectrode gap decreases. With the fraction of the current due to the
electrons diminishing, the contributions from the positive ions rise, and
proportionally more metal is then eroded from the cathode. The high
frequency of voltage pulses supplied, together with the forward servo-

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controlled tool motion, toward the workpiece, enables sparking to be
achieved along the entire length of the electrodes. Figure 5.4 shows the
voltage and current waveforms during EDM. Figure 5.6 shows the periodic
discharges occurring when using an RC generator in EDM.
The frequency of discharges or sparks usually varies between 500 and
500,000 sparks per second. With such high sparking frequencies, the
combined effects of individual sparks provide a substantial material
removal rate. The position of the tool electrode is controlled by the
servomechanism, which maintains a constant gap width (200–500 µm)
between the electrodes in order to increase the machining efficiency
through active discharges.

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The machining system

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Figures 5.7 and 5.8 show the main components of the EDM system.These
components include the tool feed servo-controlled unit, which maintains a
constant machining gap that ensures the occurrence of active discharges
between the two electrodes. The power supply is responsible for supplying
pulses at a certain voltage, current, on time, and off time. The dielectric
circulation unit flushes the dielectric fluid to the interelectrode gap after
being filtered from the machining debris.

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Electrodes
Both tool and workpiece are electrodes in EDM. However, in general, the
word ‘electrode’ is used only for tool. The material to be removed as tool
electrode should possess desirable properties like easily machinable, low
wear rate, good conductor of electricity and heat, cheap, and readily
available. Graphite, copper, brass, copper tungsten, cast aluminium,
copper boron, and silver tungsten are some of the materials that are used
for making the tool for EDM. Copper tungsten and silver tungsten are used

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for making deep slots under poor flushing conditions especially in

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tungsten carbides. It offers high machining rates as well as low electrode
wear. Copper graphite is good for cross-sectional electrodes. It has better

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electrical conductivity than graphite while the corner wear is higher. Brass
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ensures stable sparking conditions and is normally used for specialized
applications such as drilling of small holes where the high electrode wear
is acceptable. The melting point is the most important factor in
determining the tool wear. Electrode wear ratios are expressed as end
wear, side wear, corner wear, and volume wear. The term no wear EDM
occurs when the electrode-to-workpiece wear ratio is 1 percent or less.
Electrode wear depends on a number of factors associated with the EDM,
like voltage, current, electrode material, and polarity. In addition to the
servo-controlled feed, the tool electrode may have an additional rotary or
orbiting motion. Electrode rotation helps to solve the flushing difficulty
encountered when machining small holes with EDM. In addition to the
increase in cutting speed, the quality of the hole produced is superior to
that obtained using a stationary electrode.Electrode orbiting produces
cavities having the shape of the electrode.
Dielectric System
It consists of dielectric fluid, reservoir, filters, pump, and delivery devices.
A good dielectric fluid should possess certain properties, viz, it should:
1. Have high dielectric strength(ie remain electrically nonconductive
until the required breakdown voltage b/w the electrodes is attained)

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 2. Take minimum possible time to breakdown, once the breakdown
voltage is reached.
3. Deionize the gap immediately after the spark has occurred,
4. Serve as effective cooling medium, and
5. Have high degree of fluidity.
For most EDM operations kerosene is used with certain additives that
prevent gas bubbles and de-odoring. Silicon fluids and a mixture of
these fluids with petroleum oils have given excellent results. Other
dielectric fluids with a varying degree of success include aqueous
solutions of ethylene glycol, water in emulsions, and distilled water.
Flushing of the dielectric plays a major role in the maintenance of
stable machining and the achievement of close tolerance and high
surface quality. Inadequate flushing can result in arcing, decreased
electrode life, and increased production time.
Deionized water is commonly used as dielectric in ED and drilling of
small diameter holes, Filtration of dielectric fluid before re-circulation is
highly essential so that a change in its insulation qualities during the
process is minimal.
The concentration of the debris particles in the gap increases rapidly as
the machining progresses. These wear particles should be removed
from the gap so that fresh dielectric enters the IEG for spark

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discharges. Effective flushing of dielectric removes by-products from

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the gap. Ineffective flushing results in low MRR and poor surface finish.

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For proper flushing conditions, the following was recommended
Flushing through the tool is more preferred than side flushing.
2. Many small flushing holes are better than a few large ones.
3. Steady dielectric flow on the entire workpiece-electrode interface is
desirable.
4. Dead spots created by pressure flushing, from opposite sides of the
workpiece, should be avoided.
5. A vent hole should be provided for any upwardly concave part of the
tool-electrode to prevent accumulation of explosive gases.
6. A flush box is useful if there is a hole in the cavity.
Four different methods are used for introducing dielectric fluid to the
machining gap
1. Normal flow
2. Reverse flow
3. Jet flushing
4. Immersion flushing
Material removal rates
In EDM the metal is removed from both the workpiece and the tool
electrode. As can be seen from Fig. 5.12, the material removal rate
depends not only on the workpiece material but on the material of the tool

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electrode and the machining variables such as pulse conditions, electrode
polarity, and the machining medium. In this regard a material of low
melting point has a high metal removal rate and hence a rougher surface.
Typical removal rates range from 0.1 to 400 mm3 /min

Heat-affected zone

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With the temperature of the discharges reaching 8000 to 12,000°C,

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metallurgical changes occur in the surface layer of the workpiece.
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Additionally a thin recast layer of 1 µm at 5- µJ powers to 25 µm at high
powers is formed. Some annealing of the workpiece can be expected in a
zone just below the machined surface.
In addition, not all the workpiece material melted by the discharge is
expelled into the dielectric. The remaining melted material is quickly
chilled, primarily by heat conduction into the bulk of the workpiece,
resulting in an exceedingly hard surface. The depth of the annealed layer
is proportional to the amount of power used in the machining operation. It
ranges from 50 µm for finish cutting to approximately 200 µm for high
metal removal rates. The amount of annealing is usually about two points
of hardness below the parent metal for finish cutting. In the roughing cuts,
the annealing effect is approximately five points of hardness below the
parent metal (Fig. 5.16).Choosing electrodes that produce more stable
machining can reduce the annealing effect. A finish cut removes the
annealed material left by the previous high-speed roughing. The altered
surface layer, which is produced during EDM, significantly lowers the
fatigue strength of alloys. The altered layer consists of a recast layer with
or without microcracks, some of which may extend into the base metal,
plus metallurgical alterations such as rehardened and tempered layers,
heat-affected zones, and intergranular precipitates. Generally, during EDM
roughing, the layer showing microstructural changes, including a melted

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and resolidified layer, is less than 0.127 mm deep, while during EDM
finishing, it is less than 0.075 mm. Posttreatment to restore the fatigue
strength is recommended to follow EDM of critical or highly stressed
surfaces. There are several effective processes that accomplish
restoration or even enhancement of the fatigue properties. These
methods include the removal of the altered layers by low-stress grinding,
chemical machining, and the addition of a metallurgical-type coating,
reheat treatment, and the application of shot peening.

Applications

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Some of the items shaped by EDM for production applications and used in
working conditions are:

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1. Dies, fixtures, gauges
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2. Cutting tools
3. Press tools, extrusion dies
4. Die moulds for plastics
5. Diecasting dies, mould inserts
6. Remachining, repairing of worn dies for hot and cold forging
7. Making forging dies like connecting rod forging dies, etc.
8. Sintering dies
9. Calibrating tools
10. Shaping carbide tools, templates
With its ability to create precise and unique shapes, EDM has been used
by many industries in their manufacturing processes. Here are the most
common types of applications for EDM.
Die Making

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Dies are tools used to cut or shape materials into a solid product. EDM is
used to create these dies, despite the size or commonness of the shape
needed.
Mold Making
Molds are containers that transform liquid or substance into the shape of
the container. A mold’s dimension and depth is achieved with use of EDM.
Small Hole Drilling
Without EDM, drilling small holes would be difficult. EDM’s ability to create
small shapes accurately makes it ideal for drilling the exact size of holes
needed.
Wire Cut Electric Discharge Machining (WEDM)

In the wire-cut EDM process, water is commonly used as the dielectric

fluid. Filters and de-ionizing units are used for controlling the resistivity
and other electrical properties. Wires made of brass are generally
preferred. The water helps in flushing away the debris from the cutting
zone. The flushing also helps to determine the feed rates to be given for
different thickness of the materials. The schematic of wire cut EDM is
shown in Figure.

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Applications of Wire-Cut EDM

Wire EDM is used for cutting aluminium, brass, copper, carbides, graphite,
steels and
titanium. A schematic of the cutting through wire EDM is shown in Fig.
3.11.2. The wire
material varies with the application requirements. Example: for quicker
cutting action,
zinc-coated brass wires are used while for more accurate applications,
molybdenum wires
are used.
The process is used in the following areas:

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 Aerospace, Medical, Electronics and Semiconductor applications
 Tool & Die making industries.
 For cutting the hard Extrusion Dies
 In making Fixtures, Gauges & Cams
 Cutting of Gears, Strippers, Punches and Dies
 Manufacturing hard Electrodes.
 Manufacturing micro-tooling for Micro-EDM, Micro-USM and such other
micromachining applications.

ULTRASONIC MACHINING
Definition:
Ultrasonic Machining is a non-traditional process, in which abrasives
contained in a
slurry are driven against the work by a tool oscillating at low amplitude
(25-100 microns) and high frequency (15-30 kHz).
Process:
Ultrasonic machining is a mechanical type non-traditional machining
process. It is employed to machine hard and brittle materials (both
electrically conductive and nonconductive material) having hardness
usually greater than 40 HRC. The process was first developed in 1950s

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and was originally used for finishing EDM surfaces.
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In ultrasonic machining, tool of desired shape vibrates at ultrasonic
frequency ( 19 to
25 kHz. ) with an amplitude of 15-50 Microns over work piece. Generally
tool is pressed down with a feed force F. Between the tool and work,
machining zone is flooded with hard abrasive particles generally in the
form of water based slurry. As the tool vibrates over the work piece,
abrasive particles acts as indenter and indent both work and tool
material . Abrasive particles , as they indent , the work material would
remove the material from both tool and work piece. In Ultrasonic
machining material removal is due to crack initiation, propagation and
brittle fracture of material. USM is used for machining hard and brittle
materials, which are poor conductors of electricity and thus cannot be
processed by Electrochemical machining ( ECM) or Electro discharge
machining (EDM).

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The tool in USM is made to vibrate with high frequency on to the work
surface in the
midst of the flowing slurry. The main reason for using ultrasonic frequency
is to provide better performance. Audible frequencies of required
intensities would be heard as extremely loud sound and would cause
fatigue and even permanent damage to the auditory apparatus.

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High power sine wave generator
This unit converts low frequency (60 Hz) electrical power to high
frequency (20kHz)
electrical power.
Transducer
The high frequency electrical signal is transmitted to traducer which
converts it into
high frequency low amplitude vibration. Essentially transducer converts
electrical
energy to mechanical vibration. There are two types of transducer used
1. Piezo electric transducer
2. Magneto-stricitve transducer.
Piezo electric transducer: These transducer generate a small electric
current when they are compressed. Also when the electric current is
passed though crystal it expands. When the current is removed , crystal
attains its original size and shape. Such transducers are available up to
900 Watts. Piezo electric crystals have high conversion efficiency of 95%.
Magneto-strictive transducer: These also changes its length when
subjected to strong magnetic field. These transducer are made of nickel ,
nickel alloy sheets.Their conversion efficiency is about 20-30%. Such
transducers are available up to 2000 Watts. The maximum change in
length can be achieved is about 25 microns.

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Tool holder. OR Horn.

transmits
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The tool holder holds and connects the tool to the transducer. It virtually

the energy and in some cases, amplifies the amplitude of vibration.

Material of tool
should have good acoustic properties, high resistance to fatigue cracking.
Due
measures should be taken to avoid ultrasonic welding between transducer
and tool
holder. Commonly used tool holders are Monel, titanium, stainless steel.
Tool holders
are more expensive, demand higher operating cost.
Tool holder can be classified as :
Amplifying Tool Holder Non-Amplifying Tool Holder
They give as much as 6 times
increased tool motion. It is
achieved Non amplifying tool holders
by stretching and relaxing the have
tool circular cross section and give
holder material. same
MRR = 10 times the non amplitude at both ends.
amplifying
tool.

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Tool
Tools are made of relatively ductile materials like Brass, Stainless steel or Mild steel
so that Tool wear rate (TWR) can be minimized. The value of ratio of TWR and MRR
depends on kind of abrasive, work material and tool materials.

OPERATIONS OF ULTRASONIC CUTTING.

As the tool vibrates with a specific frequency, an abrasive slurry (usually a

mixture of abrasive grains and water of definite proportion) is made to

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flow through the tool work interface. The impact force arising out of

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vibration of the tool end and the flow of slurry through the work tool
interface actually causes thousands of microscopic abrasive grains to

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remove the work material by abrasion. Material removal from the hard
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and brittle materials will be the form of sinking, engraving or any other
precision shape.
Material removal process
Figure 2.10 shows the complete material removal mechanism of
USM,which involves three distinct actions:
1. Mechanical abrasion by localized direct hammering of the abrasive
grains stuck between the vibrating tool and adjacent work surface.
2. The microchipping by free impacts of particles that fly across the
machining gap and strike the workpiece at random locations.
3. The work surface erosion by cavitation in the slurry stream. The relative
contribution of the cavitation effect is reported to be less than 5 percent
of the total material removed. The dominant mechanism involved in USM
of all materials is direct hammering. Soft and elastic materials like mild
steel are often plastically deformed first and are later removed at a lower
rate.

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In case of hard and brittle materials such as glass, the machining rate is
high and the role played by free impact can also be noticed. When
machining porous materials such as graphite, the mechanism of erosion is
introduced. The rate of material removal, in USM, depends, first of all, on
the frequency of tool vibration, static pressure, the size of the machined
area, and the abrasive and workpiece material. The material removal rate
and hence the machinability by USM depends on the brittleness criterion
which is the ratio of shearing to breaking strength of a material.
Process parameters
1. Amplitude of vibration ( 15 to 50 microns)

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2. Frequency of vibration ( 19 to 25 kHz).

4. Feed pressure K T U N
3. Feed force (F) related to tool dimensions

5. Abrasive size
6. Abrasive material
** Al203, SiC, B4C, Boron silicarbide, Diamond.
7. Flow strength of the work material
8. Flow strength of the tool material
9. Contact area of the tool
10.Volume concentration of abrasive in water slurry
11.Tool
a. Material of tool
b. Shape
c. Amplitude of vibration
d. Frequency of vibration
e. Strength developed in tool

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12.Work material
a. Material
b. Impact strength
c. Surface fatigue strength
13.Slurry
a. Abrasive – hardness, size, shape and quantity of abrasive
flow
b. Liquid – Chemical property, viscosity, flow rate
c. Pressure
d. Density
Process capability
1. Can Machine work piece harder than 40 HRC to 60 HRC like carbides,
ceramics,
tungsten glass that cannot be machined by conventional methods
2. Tolerance range 7 micron to 25 microns
3. Holes up to 76 micron have been drilled hole depth upto 51mm have
been

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achieved easily. Hole depth of 152mm deep is achieved by special flushing
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techniques.

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4. Aspect ratio 40:1 has been achieved
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5. Linear material removal rate -0.025 to 25mm/min
6. Surface finish -0.25 micron to 0.75 micron
7. Non directional surface texture is possible compared to conventional
grinding
8. Radial over cut may be as low as 1.5 to 4 times the mean abrasive
grain size
Applications
1. Machining of cavities in electrically non-conductive ceramics
2. Used to machine fragile components in which otherwise the scrap rate
is high
3. Used for multistep processing for fabricating silicon nitride (Si3N4)
turbine blades
4. Large number of holes of small diameter. 930 holes with 0.32mm has
been reported ( Benedict, 1973) using hypodermic needles
5. Used for machining hard, brittle metallic alloys, semiconductors, glass,
ceramics,
carbides etc.
6. Used for machining round, square, irregular shaped holes and surface
impressions.
7. Used in machining of dies for wire drawing, punching and blanking
operations

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8. USM can perform machining operations like drilling, grinding and milling
operations on all materials which can be treated suitably with abrasives.
9. USM has been used for piercing of dies and for parting off and blanking
operations.
10.USM enables a dentist to drill a hole of any shape on teeth without any
pain 11.Ferrites and steel parts , precision mineral stones can be
machined using USM
12.USM can be used to cut industrial diamonds
13.USM is used for grinding Quartz, Glass, ceramics
14.Cutting holes with curved or spiral centre lines and cutting threads in
glass and
mineral or metallo-ceramics
Advantages
1. It can be used machine hard, brittle, fragile and non conductive
material
2. No heat is generated in work, therefore no significant changes in
physical
structure of work material
3. Non-metal (because of the poor electrical conductivity) that cannot be
machined
by EDM and ECM can very well be machined by USM.
4. It is burr less and distortion less processes.

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5. It can be adopted in conjunction with other new technologies like
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EDM,ECG,ECM.
Disadvantages

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1. Low Metal removal rate
2. It is difficult to drill deep holes, as slurry movement is restricted.
3. Tool wear rate is high due to abrasive particles. Tools made from brass,
tungsten
carbide, MS or tool steel will wear from the action of abrasive grit with a
ratio that
ranges from 1:1 to 200:1
4. USM can be used only when the hardness of work is more than 45 HRC.
Material removal models in USM
Theoretical analysis and experimental results have revealed that USM is a
form of abrasion and material removal in the form of small grains by four
mechanisms
1. Throwing of abrasive grains
2. Hammering of abrasive grains
3. Cavitations in the fluid medium arising out of ultrasonic vibration of
tool.
4. Chemical erosion due to micro –agitation

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Material removal due to throwing and hammering is significant and MR
due to capitations and chemical erosion can be ignored. Abrasive particles
are assumed to be spherical in shape having diameter dg. Abrasive
particles move under high frequency vibrating tool. There are two
possibilities when the tool hit the particle.
Ø If the size of the particle is small and gap between the tool and work is
large, then particle will be thrown by tool to hit the work piece.
Ø If the size of the particle is large and gap between tool and work is
small,then particle is hammered over the work surface.

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Volume of the material removed is the volume of the hemispherical crater
due the fracture per grit per cycle.

[ ] =K1
3
1 4 3
Volume of the material removed Γ= 2 3 π r [ ] 1 4
π r d
= 2 3 ( g ) δ 2

3
(d gδ )2

Number of impacts (N) on the work piece by the grits in each cycle depends on number
of grits beneath tool at any time. This is inversely proportional to diameter of grit.

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Electrochemical Machining (ECM)
Electrochemical machining is a method of removing metal by an

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electrochemical process. It is a non-traditional machining process

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belonging to the electrochemical category. It is used for machining
extremely hard materials or materials that are difficult to machine using

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conventional methods. Its use is limited to electrically conductive
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materials. The process has the capabilities of machining or cutting the
intricate contours or cavities in hard steel such as titanium, Hastelloy,
Kovar, Inconel, and Carbide. External as well as internal geometries can
be machined with an electrochemical machine.
ECM is characterized as the opposite of electrochemical or galvanic
coating or deposition
process. It is sometimes referred to as reverse electroplating since it
removes material
instead of depositing it. In the year 1833, Faraday established the laws of
electrolysis
(electroplating). The mechanism in ECM process is similar to electrical
discharge
machining (EDM) concept-wise, wherein a high current is passed between
the tool
(cathode) and the workpiece (anode), through a conductive fluid
(electrolyte). However,
in ECM there is no tool wear.
In ECM, the metal removal takes place by electrochemical dissolution of
an anodically
polarized workpiece. By using the ECM process, very hard metals can be

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easily shaped
electrolytically and being a chemical process, the rate of machining does
not depend on
the hardness of workpiece. Soft materials can be readily used as tool
materials on harder
work-pieces in ECM process since the tool doesn’t wear unlike in the case
of
conventional machining methods.
ECM Fundamentals
The electrolysis process being the most fundamental activity in ECM, its
characteristics
are to be well understood before proceeding further into its other process
details. Electrolysis, as the name suggests is a chemical phenomenon that
occurs between two conductors dipped in a suitable solution when electric
current is passed between them. Example two copper wires, dipped in a
copper sulphate solution are connected to a source of direct current as
shown n Fig. 3.14 .1. This solution of copper sulphate is termed as the
electrolyte and it has electrical conducting property. The entire system of
electrolyte and electrode is called as the electrolytic cell. As per the
polarity, the chemical reactions occurring at the anode and cathode are
called as anodic or cathodic reactions respectively.

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Electrolytes are different from the metallic conductors that conduct

electricity. In electrolytes, the current s carried by atoms or group of
atoms and not by the electrons. The atoms have either lost or gained
electrons, thereby acquiring either positive or negative charges and such
atoms are called ions. The ions that carry positive charges are attracted
by the cathode and they move through the electrolyte in the direction of
the positive current and are referred to as the ‘cat-ions’. The negatively
charged ions get attracted to the positive electrode i.e. anode and they
are referred to as the ‘anions’. Due to the potential difference applied, the

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movement of ions is accompanied by the flow of electrons, in the opposite
sense to the positive current in the electrolyte, outside the cell, as shown
schematically in Fig. 3.14.2.
In the electroplating process, which is a very popular application of
electrolysis, the metal coatings are deposited on the surface of a
catholically polarized metal. An example of the anodic dissolution
operation i electro-polishing. In this polishing process, the workpiece
which has irregularities is made as the anode in the electrolytic cell. The
work-piece gets polished and irregularities on its surface are dissolved
preferentially so that after the process, the item gets shining effect and
becomes flat.
The ECM and electro-polishing process are similar, such that both are
anodic dissolution processes. The rate of metal removal obtained in the
electro-polishing process is considerably less than that required in the
metal removal processes. Some observations relevant to ECM are:

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 At the anode, the metal dissolves electrochemically and its rate of

dissolution depends upon number of factors such as the ionic
charge, atomic weight, the current and the time of current passage.

 The rate of dissolution is not influenced by the hardness of the

workpiece material or any other metal characteristics.

 At the cathode, only the hydrogen gas is evolved. The electrode

shape remains unaltered during the electrolysis process. This is the
most relevant feature of ECM being used as a metal shaping
process.

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Mechanism of Material Removal in ECM

The working principle of ECM is schematically shown in Fig. 3.14.3 (a and b), the workpiece
and tool are the anode and cathode respectively. In the electrolytic cell a constant potential
difference, usually of about 10 V is applied across them. A suitable electrolyte, for example
an aqueous sodium chloride (table salt) solution is commonly chosen. In-order to remove the
products of machining, the electrolyte is pumped through the gap between the two electrodes.
The rate at which metal is then removed from the anode is approximately in inverse
proportion to the distance between the electrodes. As the machining proceeds there is a
simultaneous movement of the cathode towards the anode. The width of the gap along the
electrode length will gradually tend towards a steady-state value. Under such conditions, a
shape which is roughly complementary to that of the cathode will be reproduced on the
anode. The schematic of “electrochemical machine” is shown in Fig. 3.14.4.

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 S . I N
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 S . I N
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