Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
Advanced Machining
Processes
www.mindsover.com 1
Types of Advanced Machining Processes
Chemical Machining
Electrochemical Machining
Electrical Discharge Machining
Wire EDM
Laser Beam Machining
Electron Beam Machining
Plasma Arc Cutting
Ultrasonic Machining
Water Jet Machining
Abrasive Jet Machining
www.mindsover.com 2
The Need for Advanced Machining
Processes
Traditional machining processes
• Material removal by mechanical means, such as chip
forming, abrasion, or micro-chipping
Advanced machining processes
• Utilize chemical, electrical, and high-energy beams
The following cannot be done by traditional processes:
• Workpiece strength and hardness very high, >400HB
• Workpiece material too brittle, glass, ceramics, heat-treated
alloys
• Workpiece too slender and flexible, hard to clamp
• Part shape complex, long and small hole
• Special surface and dimensional tolerance requirements
www.mindsover.com 3
Typical Parts
Skin panel for missiles and aircraft
Turbine blades, nozzles, sheet
metal, small-diameter deep
holes, dies, thick metallic and
nonmetallic parts
www.mindsover.com 4
Chemical Machining
(Chem Milling)
Chemicals are used to dissolve
material
Masks are used to control attack
Most common use is circuit boards
and plates for printing (Sunday
comics and rotogravure)
Cutting speed of 0.0025-0.1
mm/minute – very slow
www.mindsover.com 5
Chemical Machining
www.mindsover.com 6
Electrochemical Machining
(ECM)
Combines chemical attack and electrical attack
High material removal rate
Masking is used to control attack
Conforming electrodes are to control shape
Commonly used for aircraft parts such as airfoil
shapes
Normally followed by abrasive finishing or laser
peening to remove partially adhering particles
Works with a wide variety of metals
www.mindsover.com 7
Electrochemical Machining
www.mindsover.com 8
Electrical Discharge Machining
(EDM)
www.mindsover.com 9
Electrical Discharge Machining
Successive electric arcs melt tiny droplets
from surface of workpiece
Frozen droplets must be flushed away
Electrodes are made from
graphite, copper or copper-tungsten alloy
Material removed from electrode by arc
Recast layer of approximately 0.001” in
depth left on surface
Secondary process such as chemical
machining used to remove recast layer
www.mindsover.com 10
Wire EDM
www.mindsover.com 11
Wire EDM
www.mindsover.com 12
Laser Beam Machining
www.mindsover.com 13
Laser Beam Machining
Direct laser beam against surface of
workpiece, as in laser welding
Successive pulses from laser gun vaporize
tiny bits of workpiece
Location of laser beam controlled by
computer
Workpiece need not be conductive
Cuts are tapered
Gotta trap overshoot from laser beam
www.mindsover.com 14
Laser Beam Machining (cont)
Produces large remelt zone
Can produce holes as small as 0.0002”
diameter
Can produce deep holes
Used to produce cooling holes in
blades/vanes for jet engines
www.mindsover.com 15
Electron Beam Machining
Workpiece placed in vacuum chamber
High-voltage electron beam directed
toward workpiece
Energy of electron beam melts/
vaporizes selected region of workpiece
Electron beam moved by deflection coils
Similar process to EB welding
www.mindsover.com 16
Electron Beam Machining
www.mindsover.com 17
Plasma Arc Cutting
Plasma is a stream of ionized gas
Typical temperatures are very high
Same process as plasma welding, without filler
metal
Torch movement controlled by computer
Power requirements depend on material being
cut, plus depth of cut
Recast layer is deeper than with other processes
www.mindsover.com 18
Ultrasonic Machining
Abrasive slurry flows over top of
workpiece (loose particles)
Cutting tool vibrated by ultrasonic energy
Abrasive particles between tool and
workpiece do the machining
Works well with hard, brittle workpieces
www.mindsover.com 19
Water Jet Machining
Narrow jet of water directed, at high
pressure and velocity, against surface of
workpiece
Jet of water erodes surface of
workpiece, thereby cutting workpiece
Computer control to achieve shape
www.mindsover.com 20
Water Jet Machining
www.mindsover.com 21
Abrasive Jet Machining (Dry)
Similar to sand blasting, except that a
very narrow jet of air/abrasive particles
achieves localized cutting
Computer used to position jet
www.mindsover.com 22
Abrasive Jet Machining
www.mindsover.com 23
Nanofabrication Methods
Typically used in the semiconductor
industry
Combines the lithography technique of
chemical machining with an atomic force
microscope
May incorporate plasma cutting, reduced
to nano scale
www.mindsover.com 24
Economics of Advanced Machining
Processes
High cost of equipment, which typically
includes computer control
May use hard tooling, soft tooling, or both
Low production rates
Can be used with difficult-to-machine
materials
Highly repeatable
Typically requires highly skilled operators
www.mindsover.com 25
Cincinnati Area Advanced Machining
Companies
www.mindsover.com 26