Non-Traditional Machining

Module-3
Chemical Machining
Presented by
Satish.P
M.Tech
GT & TC,
Bangalore - 560010
 CHEMICAL MACHINING OR CHEMICAL MILLING (CHM)

• Chemical machining, basically an etching process, is the

oldest nontraditional machining process.
• Material is removed from a surface by chemical dissolution
using chemical reagents, or etchants, such as acids and
alkaline solutions.
• The work piece is immersed in a bath containing an etchant.
The area that are not required to be etched are masked with
“cut and peel” tapes, paints, or polymeric materials.
• In chemical milling, shallow cavities are produced on plates,
sheets, forgings, and extrusions for overall reduction of
weight
• The process is used to produce pockets and contours and to
remove materials from parts having a high strength-to-weight
ratio.
Working principle of CM

• In this process, material is removed from the workpiece through a

controlled etching or chemical attack of the workpiece material.
• Material can be removed from selected area of a workpiece
or from the entire surface of the workpiece, according to
requirement.
• The workpiece to be machined is first cleaned in trichlorethylene vapour or
in a solution of mild alkaline at 85 to 90°C, followed by washing in a clean
water. This removes dust and oil from the workpiece.
• If selective machining is desired, the areas of the workpiece which are not to
be machined are covered with a resistant material, called a resist or maskant.
• Masking: Masking material is applied (coating or protecting areas not to be
etched).After cleaning, the workpiece is dried and coated with the maskant
material.
• The workpiece is then immersed in a chemical reagent as shown in Fig .
• Etching: The exposed surfaces are machined chemically with etchants. i.e
chemical reaction takes place and the metal is removed from the
workpiece.
• The metal is removed by the chemical conversion of the metal into metallic
salt.
• Demasking: After machining, the parts should be washed thoroughly to
prevent further reactions with or exposure to any etchant residues. Then the
rest of the masking material is removed and the part is cleaned and
inspected.
Maskants
• In chemical machining process, the areas of the
workpiece which are not to be machined are covered
with a resistant material, called a resist or maskant.
• Masking material which is called maskant is used to
protect workpiece surface from chemical etchant.
• Polymer or rubber based materials are generally
used for masking procedure.
• Multiple maskant coatings are used to provide a
higher etchant resistance. Long exposure time is
needed when thicker and rougher dip or spray
coatings are used.
• Various maskant application methods can be used such as dip, brush,
spray, roller, and electro-coating as well as adhesive tapes.
• The selected maskant material should have following properties.
• Tough enough to withstand handling.
• Well adhering to the work piece surface .
• Easy scribing.
• Inert to the chemical reagent used .
• Able to withstand the heat used during chemical machining
• Easy and inexpensive removal after chemical machining etching
• ETCHANTS
The chemical reagent (etchant) is used to remove the metal from
the work piece. The metal is removed by the chemical conversion of
the metal into metallic salt.
The chemical etching reagent depends upon work material.
The best possible etchant should have properties as follows.
a. High etch rate
b. Good surface finish
c. Minimum undercut
d. Compatibility with commonly used maskants
e. High dissolved-material capacity
f. Economic regeneration
g. Etched material recovery
Factors to be considered while selecting the etchant are
1. Material to be etched
2. Type of the maskant
3. Depth of etch
4. Surface finish required
5. MRR
6. Damage to the work material

The following table shows the etchant for different materials.

 APPLICATION OF CHEMICAL MACHINING PROCESS

• Chemical machining process is applied in great number of

usages where the depth of metal removal is critical to a few
microns and the tolerances are close.
• The major application of chemical machining is in the
manufacture of burr free components.
• 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.
• Chemical blanking: burr-free etching of printed-circuit boards
(PCB), decorative panels, thin sheet-metal stampings, and the
production of complex or small shapes.
• Chemical milling: weight reduction of space launch vehicles.
ADVANTAGES OF CHM
 DISADVANTAGES OF CHM
• Since the process is slow, metal removal rate is
low.
• Manufacturing cost is high.
• Work piece thickness, that can be machined, is
limited.
• Large floor area is needed.
• It is not possible to produce sharp corners
Non-Traditional Machining
Module-3
Plasma arc Machining
Presented by
Satish.P
M.Tech
GT & TC,
Bangalore - 560010
 PLASMA ARC MACHINING
• PAM is a thermal metal removal process in which material is
removed by directing high velocity jet of high temperature
ionized gas on the workpiece (11000 to 30000°C).
• High temperature plasma jet melts the workpiece material
in its path.
• PAM process can be used on all materials because high
temperature is involved. Plasma is a mixture of free
electrons positively charged ions and neutral atoms.
• Plasma arc can be obtained by heating a gas to a very high
temperature so that it is partially ionized.
• Plasma arc is used for spraying, welding metals like
aluminium, stainless steel etc.
Working principle of PAM
• The plasma arc cutting torch carries a tungsten
electrode fitted in a small chamber.
• This electrode is connected to the negative
terminal of a DC power supply. So it acts as a
cathode.
• The positive terminal of a D.C power supply is
connected to the nozzle formed near the bottom
of the chamber. So, nozzle act as an anode.
• A small passage is provided on one side of the
torch for supplying gas into the chamber.
• Since there is a water circulation around the torch,
the electrode and the nozzle remains water
cooled.
• When a D.C power is given to the circuit, a strong arc is produced
between the electrode (cathode) and the nozzle (anode).
• A gas usually hydrogen (H2 ) or Nitrogen (N2) is passed into the
chamber.
• This gas is heated to a sufficiently high temperature of the order
of 11,000°C to 28,000°C by using an electric arc produced between
the electrode and the nozzle.
• In this high temperature, the gases are ionized and large amount
of thermal energy is liberated.
• This high velocity and high temperature ionized gas (plasma) is
directed on the work piece surface through nozzle.
• This plasma jet melts the metal of the work piece and the high
velocity gas stream effectively blows the molten metal away.
• The heating of work piece material is not due to any chemical
reaction, but due to the continuous attack of plasma on the work
piece material.
• So, it can be safely used for machining of any metal.
ADVANTAGES OF PAM

• It can be used to cut any metal.

• Cutting rate is high.
• As compared to ordinary flame cutting process, it can cut plain
carbon steel four times faster.
• It is used for rough turning of very difficult materials.
• Both non ferrous and ferrous metals can be cut
• 5 to 10 times faster than oxy-fuel.
• Cutting ability of thick parts.
• Easy to automate
• Cutting with no preheating Process variables such as type of gas,
power, cutting speed, etc, can be
• adjusted for each metal type.
 DISADVANTAGES OF PAM

• It produces tapered surface.

• Protection of noise is necessary.
• Equipment cost is high.
• Protection of eyes is necessary for the operator
and persons working in nearby areas.
• Work surface may undergo metallurgical changes.
•  Shielding and noise protection adds additional
equipment's and also burden on the operator’s
precautions.
 APPLICATIONS
• It is used for profile cutting
• It is used for cutting alloy steels, stainless steel, cast iron, copper, nickel,
titanium, aluminium and alloy of copper and nickel, etc
• It is successfully used for turning and milling of hard to machine
materials.
• It can be used for stack cutting, shape cutting. piercing and underwater
cutting.
• Uniform thin film spraying of refractory materials on different metals,
plastics, ceramics is also done by plasma arcs.
• They are also used in the heating, ventilating and air conditioning
industries to cut complex duct work.
• In transportation industries, PAM is used to form the outer skins of
tractor trailers, buses and agricultural equipment.
 Non-Traditional Machining
Module-3
Electron beam machining (EBM)
Presented by
Satish.P
M.Tech
GT & TC,
Bangalore - 560010
 Electron beam machining (EBM)

• In Electron Beam Machining process, high velocity focused beam

of electrons are used to remove the metal from the work piece
• These electrons are travelling at half the velocity of light i.e.1.6 x
10 m/s
• Electron Beam Machining is required to be carried out in vacuum.
• Otherwise the electrons would interact with the air molecules,
thus they would loose their energy and cutting ability.
• Holes can be drilled in thin sheets using a single pulse. For thicker
plates, multiple pulses would be required.
• This process is best suited for micro-cutting of materials.
 Principle
• when the high velocity beam of electrons
strike the workpiece, its kinetic energy is
converted into heat.
• This concentrated heat raises the temperature
of workpiece material and vaporizes a small
amount of it,
• Resulting in removal of material from the
workpiece.
CONSTRUCTION AND WORKING OF EBM
• Ebm operation
• When the high voltage DC source is given to the electron gun,
tungsten filament wire gets heated and the temperature raises upto
2500°C, due to which a cloud of electrons are emitted by the filament.
• The electrons are guided by the grid cup to travel downwards, towards
the anode.
• The flow of electrons is controlled by the negative bias applied to the
grid cup.
• A potential difference of 50-150 kV is maintained between the
filament and the anode.
• As such, the electrons passing through the anode are accelerated to
achieve as high a velocity as around 2/3rd of light.
• This high velocity stream of electrons are collected into a concentrated
beam by means of diaphragm and focusing lens.
• The focusing lens is used to focus the electrons at a point and reduces
the electron beam upto the cross sectional area of 0.01 to 0.02 mm
diameter.
• The electromagnetic deflector coil is used to deflect the electron
beam to different spot on the workpiece. It can also be used to control
the path of the cut.
• And further directed towards the workpiece with the help of magnetic
forces resulting from the deflector coils.
• The high velocity beam of electrons impinge on the workpiece where
its kinetic energy is convened into heat energy.
• The concentrated heat raises the temperature of the workpiece
material and vapourizes a small amount of it, resulting in removal of
metal from the workpiece.
• The table on which the workpiece is mounted can be traversed to feed
the workpiece as needed.
• Alternately, by focusing and turning-off the beam in a specific direction,
the cutting process can be continued till the desired profile is achieved.
• A suitable viewing device is usually incorporated so as to enable the
operator to observe and control the progress of the machining
operation.
 ADVANTAGES OF EBM PROCESS
• It is an excellent process for micro finishing (milligram / s).
• Very small holes can be machined in any type of material to
high accuracy.
• Holes of different sizes and shapes can be machined.
• There is no mechanical contact between the tool and
workpiece.
• It is a quicker process. Harder materials can also be machined
at a faster rate than conventional machining.
• Electrical conductor materials can be machined.
• This process can be easily automated
• Brittle and fragile materials can be machined
• Extremely close tolerances are obtained
 Disadvantages (Limitations)
• The metal removal rate is very slow.
• Cost of equipment is very high.
• It is not suitable for large workpieces.
• High skilled operators are required to operate this machine.
• High specific energy consumption.
• A little taper produced on holes.
• Vacuum requirements limits the size of workpiece.
• It is applicable only for thin materials.
• It is not suitable for producing perfectly cylindrical deep
holes.