Basic concept of Electrochemical machining process with its advantages, limitations and applications as well as video and figure to understand this process better.

1. Electrochemical Machining
BASIC CONCEPT WITH SOME INTERESTING
INFORMATION

2. Content
• Principle
• History & Early Development
• Electroplating
• Electrochemical Machining
• Advantages
• Limitations
• Applications
• Process Parameters
• References

3. Principle
Electrolysis is based on Faraday laws of electrolysis which is stated as:
“ The mass of the substance (m) deposited or liberated
at any electrode is directly proportional to the quantity
of electricity or charge (Q) passed. ”

4. History & Early Development
• 1929, experimental ECM process was developed by W.Gussef.
• 1959, commercial process was established by the Anocut
Engineering Company.
• 1960s and 1970s, gas turbine industry.
• Rise of EDM in the same period slowed ECM research.
• Original problems of poor dimensional accuracy and
environmentally polluting waste.

5. Electroplating
• Plating one metal onto another by hydrolysis.
• Decorative purposes or to prevent corrosion of a metal.
• Copper plating, Silver plating, and Chromium plating.
• Manufacturers to use inexpensive metals such as steel or zinc.
• Account for appearance, protection, and other properties.
• The surface can be a metal or even plastic.

6. Electroplating

7. Electrochemical Machining
• Removing metal by an electrochemical process.
• Normally used for mass production.
• Can cut small or odd-shaped angles, intricate contours or cavities in
hard and exotic metals.
• Titanium aluminides, Inconel, Waspaloy, and high nickel, cobalt, and
rhenium alloys.
• A very small value of the order of 0.25 mm for satisfactory metal
removal rates.
• Electrolyte needs to be pumped at high pressures (0.7 – 3.0 MPa).

8. Electrochemical Machining

9. Electrochemical Machining

10. Electrochemical Machining
Material Removing Rate:
Where,
F = faraday’s constant = 96,500 Columns = 26.8 amp-hours,
I = current flowing in amperes,
Z = Valances of metal dissolved,
A = atomic weight of material in grams,
MRR = Material removal rate in grams per second.

11. Electrochemical Machining

12. Advantages
• Complex, concave curvature components can be produced easily by
using convex and concave tools.
• Tool wear is zero, same tool can be used for producing infinite
number of components.
• No direct contact between tool and work material so there are no
forces, residual stresses.
• The surface finish produced is excellent.

13. Limitations
• Out of all the unconventional machining methods, electro chemical
machining requires high specific cutting energy.
• Sharp edges and corners are not possible to produce.
• Work material must be electrically conducting.
• Generally preferable for producing contours only.

14. Applications
• Die sinking
• Profiling and contouring
• Trepanning
• Grinding
• Drilling
• Micro-machining

15. Applications

16. Process Parameters

17. References
• http://nptel.ac.in/courses/112105127/pdf/LM-38.pdf
• https://me-mechanicalengineering.com/electro-chemical-
machining-ecm/
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3X24S7Kd0Q0
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrochemical_machining
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electroplating

18. Thank you
Any Question?
“He who does not ask Remain a Fool Forever”