Journal of Materials Processing Technology 107 (2000) 293299

CAE-ECM system for electrochemical technology of parts and tools

ski Jerzy Kozak*, Lucjan Dabrowski, Konrad Lubkowski, Marek Rozenek, Robert Sawin
Institute of Manufacturing Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology, ZOWE, Al.Niepodleglosci 222, 00-663 Warsaw, Poland

Abstract This paper presents the concept and prototype of a computer aided engineering (CAE) system that can be used to solve different task of electrochemical machining (ECM), such as: tool-electrode design, selection of optimal machining variant and input machining parameters optimization. The system uses computer simulation software that was developed for various kinds of ECM operations like: electrochemical (EC) sinking, EC milling, EC smoothing, ECM-CNC with a universal electrode and numerically controlled electrode movement, etc. The results of computer simulation of different ECM processes and results of experimental verications are also presented in the paper. # 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Electrochemical machining; Electrode design; Computer simulation; Experimental verication

1. Introduction Electrochemical machining (ECM) is an effective way of manufacturing of complex shaped parts. It is used for variety of materials, including those that are hard to machine by means of traditional metal cutting. Various variants of the ECM like: electrochemical sinking, ECM with numerically controlled tool-electrode movement, ECM with orbiting tool-electrode, pulse ECM, electrochemical smoothing, electrochemical deburring are used in industrial practice. All of them are characterized by high efciency and lack of wear of tool-electrode. Moreover, surface of workpiece machined by any of ECM processes is of high quality and stress free. Therefore, use of ECM for production of dies, parts of turbine and high compression engines, medical implants, parts for electronic and military industries, etc. is well justied. Although attractive for reasons stated above implementation of ECM may not be easy. Two major difculties that are encountered during ECM process preparation involve toolelectrode design and machining input parameters selection. Very often in order to achieve desired output, labor and timeconsuming trial-and-error method has been used to adjust shape of tool and set of parameters. Due to prohibitive costs of such approach research centers and different companies have been tying to develop means to reduce this cost and lead-time to production. One of them that can be applied at

the earliest stages of ECM process design is computer simulation. Mathematical model of the ECM consists of a set of nonlinear partial differential equations with complex boundary conditions, e.g. moving boundary on machined surface of a workpiece. Its high complexity causes that in order to obtain reliable results for particular technological task it is necessary to perform complex numerical calculations. CAEECM system, presented in this paper, has the ability necessary to evaluate such complex models for various tasks in ECM. CAE-ECM system has been designed to help to solve following technological problems:  simulation of the workpiece shape change during machining with a fixed tool-electrode profile including accuracy analysis,  tool-electrode design for a required workpiece shape,  simulation of ECM smoothing process,  determination of basic characteristics of different variants of the ECM process (ECM with rotating electrode, pulse ECM, ECM with vibrating electrode, etc.). Scheme of structure of CAE-ECM system is shown in Fig. 1. Selected parts of the CAE-ECM system are discussed below. 2. Simulation of electrochemical shaping In ECM, there is no physical contact between electrodes (tool and workpiece). Shape of workpiece after ECM depends on geometry of tool-electrode as well as on nal

Corresponding author. Tel.: 48-22-6288110; fax: 48-22-6607520. E-mail addresses: jkozak@meil.pw.edu.pl (J. Kozak), ld@meil.pw.edu.pl (L. Dabrowski).

0924-0136/00/$ see front matter # 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. PII: S 0 9 2 4 - 0 1 3 6 ( 0 0 ) 0 0 6 8 5 - 3

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initial shapes of tool-electrode ( f ) and workpiece (F0); initial positions of electrodes; hydrodynamic parameters; others that are necessary for numerical calculations like required accuracy, etc.

The main task in ECM shaping, regardless of variant, is to calculate electric eld distribution in machining area, in a medium of varying electrical conductivity, with complex processes occurring on the surfaces of the electrodes and with shape change of machined surface during course of machining. Relations between main factors occurring during ECM are shown schematically in Fig. 2. Since properties of electrolyte depend on temperature and gas-phase concentration (mainly on concentration of hydrogen generated during machining) which distributions depend on velocity and pressure elds as well as on current density, ECM processes have to be described by set of mass, heat and electric charge transfer equations. In presented CAE-ECM system, temperature (T) distribution and void (gas) fraction (b) are calculated for direction along the path of electrolyte ow as well as in direction normal to the ow. Assumptions used for modeling can be found in [3]. As a result current density distribution can be estimated with much higher accuracy that has a tremendous impact on tool design process and workpiece shape change estimation. Also, more accurate calculations of T and b distributions allow to estimate limiting speed of machining above which ECM process becomes unstable what, in turn, leads to

Fig. 1. Structure of CAE-ECM system.

gap between tool and workpiece. The nal gap (S) distribution depends on tool-electrode shape, kinematics of tool-electrode, electrical and hydrodynamic parameters in interelectrode gap during machining and on a form of basic characteristics of anodic dissolution for given material electrolyte arrangement. The main goal of computer simulation is to calculate, along and across the electrolyte ow and at given instance of time, the following quantities:  interelectrode gap distribution (S ) which is equivalent to determination of the shape of workpiece,  distributions of fields of: temperature (T ), volumetric gasphase concentration ( b ), velocity of electrolyte (w), static pressure ( p), electrical current density ( j ) in the interelectrode gap and velocity of dissolution (Vn ). The set of input parameters for simulation consists of:  properties of electrolyte and workpiece material;  feed rate of tool-electrode (Vf );
Fig. 2. Relations between main factors occurring during ECM.

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of electrodes, are very important in ECM input parameters selection. The input parameters should always be chosen such that the maximum temperature of electrolyte never reaches its boiling point. One-dimensional model, in which only average values of T (Fig. 5b), and b across the gap can be calculated, may not be accurate enough to properly estimate the maximum temperature. Use of input parameters from simulation that underestimated electrolyte temperature for actual machining may lead to short-circuit between electrodes, and what follows, to damage of tool and workpiece. Ability of CAE-ECM system to predict workpiece shape after machining was veried experimentally. ECM sinking of workpiece made of WNL tool steel (0.55% C, 0.7% Mn, 2% Si, 0.7% Cr, 1.6% Ni, 0.25% Mo) was performed. Water solution of NaNO3 of 15% was used as electrolyte. Machining was performed for feed rates Vf 0X6, 0.8, 1.0 mm/min, working voltage U 16 V and electrolyte gap inlet pressure p0 0X6 MPa. Tool-electrode used in experiment was designed using the CAE-ECM system. In Fig. 6, actual and calculated workpiece shapes using the CAE-ECM are shown. The areas where the biggest difference between the shapes was observed are magnied in Fig. 7. Experimental verication showed good agreement between theoretical and actual results. The analysis of accuracy of machined workpieces showed that maximum shape error is less than 0.02 mm or 5% of the gap size. The error is greater near the inlet of the electrolyte. This error can be attributed to the approximate distribution of the electrolyte ow and electrical eld estimation at the electrolyte entrance region of the gap. 3. Tool-electrode design
Fig. 3. Simulation algorithm.

critical states with electrical discharges. The mathematical model of the ECM process used in presented CAE-ECM system is described in [3]. Simulation algorithm is shown in Fig. 3. Examples of simulation of ECM shaping are shown in Fig. 4a and b. In Fig. 4a, results for simulation of ECM with constant feed rate are shown. In Fig. 4b, results for machining with additional oscillations of tool-electrode are presented. Additional harmonic movement of tool-electrode signicantly improves conditions in interelectrode gap that results in much greater dimensional accuracy of the process. In these gures, subsequent graphs illustrate anode-workpiece shape evolution in time. Electrolyte temperature distributions across the interelectrode gap at the point where electrolyte exits the gap (where it reaches its highest temperature) are shown in Fig. 5a and b. The two maxima that can be observed in Fig. 5a in proximity

In order to obtain a desired shape of workpiece within certain accuracy and for a given set of ECM input parameters the tool-electrode needs to be properly designed and manufactured. In such a design, nal interelectrode gap distribution was uneven. In CAE-ECM system iterative trial-and-error method is used for tool-electrode design. At rst initial, approximate prole of tool-electrode is calculated on the basis of the so-called ``cosine law'', using constant electrochemical properties of materialelectrolyte arrangement [1,2]. Next, simulation of ECM using the approximated shape of toolelectrode is performed and errors obtained between Fi and desired F shapes of workpiece are calculated, DF Fi F . Then, the tool shape is corrected using weighted values of the errors and another simulation is performed. This iteration cycle is repeated until some accuracy criterion is satised. During iteration process software checks if physical conditions of machining are within imposed limits such as T ` Tmax Y b ` bmax Y w ` wmax , etc. has to be taken into account.

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Fig. 4. Examples of simulation of ECM shaping.

It is important to notice that the nal shape of toolelectrode depends not only on a shape of workpiece but also on input parameters of machining and physical conditions that result from these parameters. As an example ECM

with at electrode may be considered. Due to phenomena occurring in interelectrode gap surface, workpiece machined with such electrode is not at. In order to obtain at surface of workpiece tool-electrode needs to be corrected.

Fig. 5. Electrolyte temperature distribution across the gap: (a) laminar ow; (b) turbulent ow.

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Fig. 5. (Continued ).

In Fig. 8, results of experimental verication of ECM with at electrode are shown. In this gure shape deviations for the surface that was machined with corrected, using the CAE-ECM system, electrode are shown. It is important to mention here that these errors before correction were 10 times bigger and their values were about 97% of gap size. After correction their values dropped to about 5% of gap size. 4. Dimensional accuracy analysis of ECM shaping To illustrate dimensional analysis of ECM shaping, results for ECM of a turbine blade are presented. For given

anode (workpiece) prole, marked with thin line in Fig. 9, tool-electrode shape was calculated using the CAE-ECM system as shown using thick line in the same gure. Calculations were performed using following set of input parameters:  workpiece material: Inconel alloy;  electrolyte: 13% water solution of NaNO3;  electrochemical machinability: Kv 1X64 2X13 exp 0X03i mm3 aA min, where i is a current density in A/cm2;  voltage U 12 V;  total overpotential E 3 V;

Fig. 6. Actual and calculated proles (solid line) comparison.

Fig. 7. Areas of the greatest differences between actual and calculated shapes (solid line).

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Fig. 8. Experimental verication of ECM with at electrode.

   

sinking feed rate Vf 1 mmamin; inlet electrolyte velocity w 10 mas; outlet pressure pk 0X1 MPa; accuracy of calculated tool-electrode shape DF 2 mm.

Calculated distributions of S, w, p, T, b and i as functions of distance along the electrolyte ow (with x 0 at the inlet) are shown in Fig. 10. The change in interelectrode gap

width, S, results from blade's feather prole change as well as from change of physical conditions along electrolyte ow. To evaluate inuence of ECM input parameters on interelectrode gap distribution (or, in other words, on workpiece shape error distribution) computer simulations for different values of voltage, feed rate and inlet electrolyte velocity were performed. Following values for these parameters were used:  inlet electrolyte velocity w 5, 10 and 15 m/s;  voltage U 8, 12, 16 V;  feed rate Vf 0X75, 1.00, 1.50 mm/min. Some results for these simulations are shown in Fig. 11. The biggest values of gap width, S(x), occur at the point where electrolyte exits that gap. They result from electrolyte a conductivity change that is caused by temperature and gas fraction increase. Decrease of inlet velocity of electrolyte causes decrease of gap width at the electrolyte outlet. Gap width signicantly depends on pressure at the outlet that can be seen from graphs in Fig. 11 for pk 0X10 and 0.15 MPa.

Fig. 9. Tool and blade prole.

Fig. 10. Calculated distributions of S, w, p, T, b and j as functions of distance along the electrolyte ow.

Fig. 11. Gap width for different input parameters.

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Much more pronounced inuence on y coordinate of the prole have working voltage, U, and electrode feed rate, Vf . As an example, inuence of feed rate on shape deviation is shown in Fig. 13. Results show that stabilization of these parameters is necessary during machining. During ECM their values should be maintained as close as possible to their nominal values, i.e. values that were used for tool-electrode design. 5. Conclusions The presented CAE-ECM system can be useful for process planing for different variants of ECM. It can be used for process analysis, tool design and parameters selection. Presented results for ECM sinking showed good agreement between theoretical predictions and actual experimental results. Conclusion can be made that this software ``CAE-ECM'' has great potential to be used in industry applications. Acknowledgements The Committee of Science Research, Poland (Grant No. 7 T 07 D 01711) is gratefully acknowledged for this study. References
[1] J. McGeough, Principles of Electrochemical Machining, Chapman & Hall, London, 1974. [2] A.D. Davydow, J. Kozak, High Rate Electrochemical Shaping, Nauka, Moscow, 1990 (in Russian). [3] J. Kozak, Mathematical models for computer simulation of electrochemical machining processes, J. Mater. Process. Technol. 76 (13) (1998) 170175.

Fig. 12. Distribution of prole deviations with respect to reference prole blp5 for different electrolyte velocities.

Fig. 13. Distribution of prole deviations with respect to reference prole blp5 for different electrode feed rates.

Increase of outlet pressure causes signicant increase of gap width that can be explained by decrease of concentration of gas phase. Changes of proles in y direction with respect to reference prole, blp5, for different electrolyte velocities are shown in Fig. 12. Despite signicant changes of inlet velocity the maximum difference between proles was relatively small (<0.03 mm).