Electrochemical Machining

(ECM)
Schematic illustration of the electrochemical-machining
process. This process is the reverse of electroplating.
 Operation
• Material is depleted from anode workpiece
(positive pole) and transported to a cathode tool
(negative pole) in an electrolyte bath
• Electrolyte flows rapidly between the two poles
to carry off depleted material, so it does not
plate onto tool
• Electrode materials: Aluminium, Cu, brass,
titanium, cupro-nickel and stainless steel
• Tool has inverse shape of part
• Tool size and shape must allow for the
gap
 Tool material
Properties expected out of the tool material:
• High electrical and thermal conductivity
• Good stiffness
• Easy machinability - particularly
important if complex shaped tools are
required
• High corrosion resistance - to protect
itself from the highly corrosive
electrolyte solution
• Rigidity - Rigidity of the tool construction
and material is important because the high
pressure can cause deflection of the tool
 Electrolyte
Electrolytes used in ECM should be carefully
selected so that they provide the necessary
reactions without plating the cathode
Functions expected:
• Completing the electrical circuit between the tool
and the workpiece
• Allowing the desirable machining reactions to
take place
• Carrying away the heat generated during the
operation
• Carrying away products of reaction from the
zone of machining
 Desirable electrolyte properties
• High electrical conductivity - easy ionisation
• Low viscosity - for easy flow
• High specific heat - to carry more heat
• Chemical stability - to be chemically neutral or
does not disintegrate during the reaction
• Resistance to formation of passivating film on
the workpiece surface
• Non corrosiveness and non-toxicity
• Inexpensiveness and easy availability

Salt solutions with water forming a large

proportion satisfy many of the above conditions
and therefore they are generally used
 Design for electrolyte flow
Need for sufficient electrolyte flow between the
tool and the workpiece:
• To carry away the heat and the products of
machining
• To assist the machining process at the required
feed rate, producing a satisfactory surface finish
• Cavitation, stagnation and vortex formation
should be avoided since these lead to bad
surface finish
• There should be no sharp corners in the flow
path. All corners in the flow path should have a
radius
When drilling a hole – flow through the hole under
high pressure and exits through the workpiece
Reverse flow would be useful since it decreases the metal removed, by
leaving a large slug at the centre of the hole produced; Also best
arrangement for the electrolyte flow since the finished surface is not
affected by the electrolyte with the metal debris
Initial shape of the component generally may not comply with
the tool shape and only a small fraction of the area is close
to the tool surface at the beginning – the problem of
supplying the electrolyte over such area is overcome by
using the flow restriction technique
The shape and location of the slot should be such that every
portion of the surface is supplied with electrolyte flow and
no passive area exists
 Insulation
• Insulation is important in the control of the electrical
current

Desirable qualities of insulation:

1. Adhesion to the tool: preformed insulation can be held
to the tool by shrinkfitting, adhesives or fasteners
2. Sealing without pores or leaks that could cause stray
machining by current leakage
3. Adequate thickness
4. Smoothness to avoid disturbing the flow of
electrolyte
5. Resistance to heat for continuous service at 200°C
without breakdown
6. Durability to resist wear in guides and fixtures
7. Chemical resistance to the electrolyte
8. High electrical resistivity
9. Uniform application to minimize disturbance of the flow of
electrolyte and to prevent interference
10. Low water absorption
• Generally the simplest method of applying
insulation is by spraying or dipping
• Teflon, urethane, phenolic, expoxy, powder
coating and other materials are commonly
used for insulation

• Sprayed or dipped coatings of epoxy resins are

among the most effective insulating materials

• For optimum effectiveness, these coatings

should be used with a protective lip on the
tool to protect the edge of the insulation
from the flow force of the electrolyte
ECM process without and with a proper insulation
 Process parameters

• MRR with ECM are sufficiently large and

comparable with that of the conventional
methods
• The rate of material removal in ECM is governed
by Faraday’s law and is a function of current
density.
• Current density is not only controlled by the
amount of current that the power supply is
delivering, but also by the size of the IEG
• A small IEG results in the highest current density.
However, when its very small, there is a danger of
sludge particles bridging the gap and causing a
short circuit
• When the gap is too large, current density is
reduced, resulting in a poor surface finish and
decreased MRR
• Other variables that affect the current density
and the MRR are:
1. Voltage
2. Feed rate
3. Electrolyte conductivity

4. Electrolyte composition
5. Electrolyte flow
6. Workpiece material
 Voltage
• Voltage across the cutting gap influences
the current and the MRR and is controlled
in most ECM operations
• Low voltage decreases the equilbrium-
machining gap and results in a better
surface finish and finer tolerance control
• Increased current leads to electrolyte
heating – low temperature of the
electrolyte is conducive for a better
surface finish and tolerances
 Feed rate

• As the tool approaches the work, the length of

the conductive path decreases and the
magnitude of the current increases
• High feed rate results in higher MRR
• Limitations of feed rate are removal of hydrogen
gas and products of machining;
 Electrolyte conductivity

• Affects the resistance across the gap

• Increasing the concentration will cause
conductivity to rise
• Temperature increases of the electrolyte
also increases conductivity
• Low concentration and low temperature
will results in lower MRR
 Electrolyte composition

• Composition directly influences conductivity,

MRR and surface characteristics
• Parameters used for a given application may not
yield the same ECM results if a different type of
electrolyte is used
• Normal development of an operation begins with
the selection of the correct electrolyte. The
other parameters and the cathode are adjusted
to get the desired result
 Electrolyte flow rate

• The velocity and the electrolyte flow through the gap is

also an important parameter affecting the surface
finish and MRR
• If the velocity is too low, the heat and by-products of the
reaction build in the gap causing non-uniform material
removal
• A velocity that is too high will cause cavitation, also
promoting uneven material removal
• Increased electrolyte velocities require larger electrolyte
pumps that add capital cost to the system
• Pressure control is the method of controlling the flow
rate
 Advantages
• Ability to machine complex 3D curved surfaces without feed marks
• Machines complicated shapes in single pass
• Capable of machining metals and alloys irrespective of their strength
and hardness
• Since metal removal is by mettalic ion exchange, there are no
cutting forces and the workpiece is left in a stress free state – very
thin sections can be machined
• There is little or no tool wear – so large number of components can
be machined without replacing the tool
• Not subjected to high temperatures
• Burr free
• Good surface finish
• Good accuracy and tolerance
• Low machining time
• Low scrap
• Automatic operation
 Limitations
• Work must be electrically conductive
• Inability to machine sharp interior edges and corners
• Large power consumption and related problems (heavy initial
investment)
• Post machining cleaning is a must to reduce the corrosion of the
workpiece and ECM machine
• Tool design is complicated and needs cut and try methods to
achieve the final shape
• Although the parts produced by ECM are stress free, they are found
to have fatigue strength or endurance limit lowered by
approximately 10-25%. So may require post treatment (shot
peening) to restore the strength especially for situations where
fatigue strength is critical
• Additional problems related to machine tool requirements: power
supply, electrolyte handling and tool feed servo system
• High maintenance
• Can cause intergranular attack (IGA)
• High tooling and set-up costs
 Applications
• Aerospace industries: machining gas turbine blades, airframe
component fabrication, honey-comb aircraft panels, jet engine blade
airfoils
• Manufacture of general machine parts: thin wall mechanical slotting,
difficult to machine hollow shafts, chain pinions, internal profile of
internal cams, driving joints, pump glands and impellers, connecting
rod, hydraulic spools, gear wheels
• Facing and turning complex 3D surfaces
• Die sinking, particularly deep narrow slots and holes
• Profiling and any odd shape contouring
• Multiple hole drilling
• Trepanning
• Broaching
• Deburring
• Grinding
• Honing
• Cutting off
ECMed bottom contour of a deep hole
Airfoils machined directly on a compressor disk
Finishing of a conical hole in a nozzle
Machining a thin-wall casing with embossments
Contouring a turbine blade surface
Cutting slots in a valve plate
Cutting spiral grooves in a friction plate
Cutting multiple small cavities in Inconel 718
Disc turned on ECM lathe
Die sink impression for connecting rod die
Control cam profiled by ECM
Stainless steel parts (illustrates repeatability)
Multiple hole drilling in a SS burner plate

Part with 198

holes
dia:1.25mm
Machining of integral valves
Production of burr-free slots in a tool steel part
 Cutting slots in a valve plate

8.4mm thick plate (hardened steel of 65HRC);

NaCl; 1800amps; 130sec/part
16 pockets in a cavity machined simultaneously

Process time: less than 6 mins

Adjusting ring and sleeve profiled by ECM
Parts made by Electrochemical
Machining

Fig : Typical parts made by electrochemical machining. (a) Turbine blade made of a nickel
alloy, 360 HB; note the shape of the electrode on the right. (b) Thin slots on a 4340-steel
roller-bearing cage. (c) Integral airfoils on a compressor disk.
 Biomedical
Implant

Fig : (a) Two total knee replacement systems showing metal implants (top pieces) with an
ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene insert (bottom pieces) (b) Cross-section of the ECM
process as applied to the metal implant.
 Design considerations for Electrochemical
Machining

• Electrolyte erodes sharp surfaces and profiles so not suited

for sharp edges
• Irregular cavities may not be produced to the desired shape
with acceptable dimensional accuracy
• Designs should make provisions for small taper for
holes and cavities to be machined