Electrochemical micromachining studies on ss304 using nacl and nano3 as electrolytes

Abstract

Micro manufacturing is considered as a crucial technology in newlinetoday s world which is going towards miniaturization. It has numerous newlineimpacts on the day-to-day life and has an increasing demand in today s world. newlineMicro-manufacturing has a broad range of applications in aerospace, newlineautomotive, electronics, medical industries and optic devices. newlineElectrochemical micromachining (ECMM) is one among the newlinecommon options for producing micro-parts since it requires less handling newlineeffort, simple to control, computer numerical control (CNC) technology can newlinebe integrated, can have a relatively simple machine design and can process a newlinevariety of materials, including high-strength materials. Moreover, burr-free newlinesurfaces, the absence of thermal damage, the absence of component distortion, newlineand the absence of tool-wear are some of the desirable qualities. However, newlinethere are a lot major issues in micro-ECM that needs to be addressed such as: newlinemachining accuracy, controlling material removal rate, power supply to be newlineused, the role of electrolyte in machining, roles of inter-electrode gap, design newlineand development of micro-tools, etc. newlineAcids are also used as electrolytes in ECM and ECMM as they do newlinenot produce metal oxides during the machining operation, thereby improving newlinemachining accuracy. However, care is required while using acids as they tend newlineto deposit material on the tool. The fumes produced during electrochemical newlinemachining using acids cause damage to the machine, to the lungs, and to the newlineeyes. Moreover the disposal of the consumed electrolyte is also a big problem. newlineCurrently, the use of neutral electrolytes in electrochemical machining is newlinegaining popularity. newline