Cathode design investigation based on iterative correction of predicted profile errors in electrochemical machining of compressor blades

Electrochemical machining (ECM) is an effective and economical manufacturing method for machining hard-to-cut metal materials that are often used in the aerospace field. Cathode design is very complicated in ECM and is a core problem influencing machining accuracy, especially for complex profiles such as compressor blades in aero engines. A new cathode design method based on iterative correction of predicted profile errors in blade ECM is proposed in this paper. A math-ematical model is first built according to the ECM shaping law, and a simulation is then carried out using ANSYS software. A dynamic forming process is obtained and machining gap distributions at different stages are analyzed. Additionally, the simulation deviation between the prediction profile and model is improved by the new method through correcting the initial cathode profile. Further-more, validation experiments are conducted using cathodes designed before and after the simulation correction. Machining accuracy for the optimal cathode is improved markedly compared with that for the initial cathode. The experimental results illustrate the suitability of the new method and that it can also be applied to other complex engine components such as diffusers.     

薄型中空电极振动电解切割TB6钛合金

TB6钛合金由于具有优越的性能,广泛地用于航空航天领域。然而从大余量的TB6钛合金锻铸件毛坯加工成复杂结构的零件,其加工效率低,刀具和机床成本高,造成了极大的浪费。为解决这一问题,提出了一种利用薄型中空电极进行快速大余量去除的电解加工(ECM)方法,即将零件与多余材料切割分离,有望较大程度提高加工效率,降低加工成本。为改善电解加工流场特性,提高加工精度,对电极施加振动,并对薄型中空电极的振动切割进行了建模分析和试验研究。试验结果表明,合适的振动幅值和频率(A=0.05mm,f=50Hz)可以使得各处电解液电导率趋于一致,从而提高加工的精度、稳定性和效率。复杂结构件的成功切割证明了薄型中空电极振动电解切割加工技术具有一定的适用性。     

Electrochemical trepanning with uniform electrolyte flow around the entire blade profile

In the traditional machining process for diffusers, blades are easily deformed, and methods suffer from high tool wear and low efficiency. Electrochemical machining(ECM) possesses unique advantages when applied to these difficult-to-machine materials. In the ECM process, theflow field plays a crucial role. Here, an electrolyte flow mode that supplies uniform flow around the entire blade profile was adopted for electrochemical trepanning of diffusers. Various flow rates were employed to obtain the optimal flow field. Simulations were conducted using ANSYS software, and results indicated that increasing the flow rate substantially afforded a more uniform flowfield. A series of experiments was then performed, and results revealed that increasing the flow rate greatly improved both the machining efficiency and the surface quality of the diffusers. The maximum feeding rate of the cathode reached 4 mm/min, the blade taper of the concave part decreased to 0.02, and the blade roughness was reduced to 1.216 lm. The results of this study demonstrated the high feasibility of this method and its potential for machining other complex components for engineering applications.     

Surface-improvement mechanism of hybrid electrochemical discharge process using variable-amplitude pulses

Superalloys are commonly used in aircraft manufacturing; however, the requirements for high surface quality and machining accuracy make them difficult to machine. In this study, a hybrid electrochemical discharge process using variable-amplitude pulses is proposed to achieve this target. In this method, electrochemical machining (ECM) and electrical discharge machining (EDM) are unified into a single process using a sequence of variable-amplitude pulses such that the machining process realizes both good surface finish and high machining accuracy. Furthermore, the machining mechanism of the hybrid electrochemical discharge process using variable-amplitude pulses is studied. The mechanism is investigated by observations of machining waveforms and machined surface. It is found that, with a high-frequency transformation between high- and low-voltage waveforms within a voltage cycle, the machining mechanism is frequently transformed from EDM to pure ECM. The critical discharge voltage is 40 V. When pulse voltages greater than 40 V are applied, the machining accuracy is good; however, the surface has defects such as numerous discharge craters. High machining accuracy is maintained when high-voltage pulses are replaced by low-voltage pulses to enhance electrochemical dissolution. The results indicate that the proposed hybrid electrochemical discharge process using variable-amplitude pulses can yield high-quality surfaces with high machining accuracy.     

Design and development of a five-axis machine tool with high accuracy,stiffness and efficiency for aero-engine casing manufacturing

In order to satisfy the machining requirements of aero-engine casing in modern aviation industry, this paper investigates three main issues during the design and development process of a five-axis machine tool with high accuracy, stiffness and efficiency, including whole structure design,key components design, and supporting stiffness design. First, an appropriate structure of five-axis machine tool is determined considering the processing characteristics of aero-engine casing. Then, a dual driv...     

Evolution of convex structure during counter-rotating electrochemical machining based on kinematic modeling

Counter-rotating electrochemical machining (CRECM) is a novel electrochemical machining (ECM) method, which can be used to machine convex structures with complex shapes on the outer surface of casings. In this study, the evolution of the convex structure during CRECM is studied. The complex motion form of CRECM is replaced by an equivalent kinematic model, in which the movement of the cathode tool is realized by matrix equations. The trajectory of the cathode tool center satisfies the Archimedes spiral equation, and the feed depth in adjacent cycles is a constant. The simulation results show that the variations of five quality indexes for the convex structure: as machining time increases, the height increases linearly, and the width reduces linearly, the fillets at the top and root fit the rational function, and the inclination angle of the convex satisfies the exponential function. The current density distributions with different rotation angles is investigated. Owing to the differential distribution of current density on workpiece surface, the convex is manufactured with the cathode window transferring into and out of the processing area. Experimental results agree very well with the simulation, which indicates that the proposed model is effective for prediction the evolution of the convex structure in CRECM.     

整体叶轮的数控电解加工及其在航天制造中的应用前景

综述了整体叶轮的主要加工方法及其比较，就数控展成电解加工的重要技术特点(可以综合发挥数控技术和电解加工两者的技术优点)进行了论述，展示了数控电解在加工整体叶轮、解决以数控铣、精密铸造难加工或不能加工的技术难题方面所显示的优越性。该项工艺技术对于新型航天发动机的研制具有重要意义和广阔的应用前景。     

Trajectory control strategy of cathodes in blisk electrochemical machining

A turbine blisk, which combines blades and a disk together, is one of the most important components of an aero engine. In the process of blisk electrochemical machining (ECM), the sheet cathode, which is usually used as a tool electrode, has a complicated structure. In addition to that, the channel between the adjacent blades is narrow and twisted, so interference is apt to happen when the sheet cathode feeds into the channel. Therefore, it is important to choose suitable trajectory control strategy. In this paper, a new trajectory control strategy of the sheet cathode is presented and corresponding simulation analysis is conducted on the basis of an actual blisk model. The simulation results demonstrate that the sheet cathode can feed into the channel by a spatial line trajectory without interference. Moreover, the verification experiments are carried out according to the simulation. The experimental results show that the cathode can move into the channel without interference. It is verified that the new trajectory control strategy is correct and can be used in the blisk ECM process successfully.     

Convex shaping process simulation during counter-rotating electrochemical machining by using the finite element method

In counter-rotating electrochemical machining(CRECM), a revolving cathode tool with hollow windows of various shapes is used to fabricate convex structures on a revolving part. During this process, the anode workpiece and the cathode tool rotate relative to each other at the same rotation speed. In contrast to the conventional schemes of ECM machining with linear motion of a block tool electrode, this scheme of ECM is unique, and has not been adequately studied yet. In this paper, the finite element method(FEM) is used to simulate the anode shaping process during CRECM, and the simulation process which involves a meshing model, a moving boundary,and a simulation algorithm is described. The simulated anode profiles of the convex structure at different processing times show that the CRECM process can be used to fabricate convex structures of various shapes with different heights. Besides, the variation of the inter-electrode gap indicates that this process can also reach a relative equilibrium state like that in conventional ECM. A rectangular convex and a circular convex are successfully fabricated on revolving parts. The experimental results indicate relatively good agreement with the simulation results. The proposed simulation process is valid for convex shaping prediction and feasibility studies as well.     

整体叶盘叶型电解加工流场设计及实验简

 电解加工（ECM）是航空发动机整体叶盘制造的主要技术之一,其电解液流场稳定性是影响电解加工精度和表面质量的核心因素。本文在分析原有的二维流场基础上,针对流体在不同流道截面下的流场状态,提出了一种三维复合电解液流场模式,即三股电解液分别从毛坯进气边、叶盆叶根、叶背叶根流入,由排气边交汇流出。采用有限元法对三维复合流场及两类二维流场开展仿真分析,分析结果表明三维复合流场改善了流道突变区域流场状态,有效抑制了二维流场的流场缺陷,有助于提高流场稳定性。对加工区液体流态进行了判断,其结果显示三维复合流场可以满足电解加工要求。开展了3种流场模式的加工速度比较实验,三维复合流场达到的进给速度最高,较二维流场可显著提升加工效率。采用三维复合流场开展了多叶片扇段加工,获得了较好的重复精度与表面质量。     

整体叶盘叶型电解加工流场设计及实验

电解加工（ECM）是航空发动机整体叶盘制造的主要技术之一,其电解液流场稳定性是影响电解加工精度和表面质量的核心因素。本文在分析原有的二维流场基础上,针对流体在不同流道截面下的流场状态,提出了一种三维复合电解液流场模式,即三股电解液分别从毛坯进气边、叶盆叶根、叶背叶根流入,由排气边交汇流出。采用有限元法对三维复合流场及两类二维流场开展仿真分析,分析结果表明三维复合流场改善了流道突变区域流场状态,有效抑制了二维流场的流场缺陷,有助于提高流场稳定性。对加工区液体流态进行了判断,其结果显示三维复合流场可以满足电解加工要求。开展了3种流场模式的加工速度比较实验,三维复合流场达到的进给速度最高,较二维流场可显著提升加工效率。采用三维复合流场开展了多叶片扇段加工,获得了较好的重复精度与表面质量。     

基于电解扫掠成形原理的整体叶盘叶根加工方法

采用片状或管状阴极电解加工(ECM)后的整体叶盘由于加工运动、阴极形状等原因在叶根处会形成一定的加工残留,影响整体叶盘的加工精度。针对叶片电解加工后形成的叶根残留,开展去除叶根残留电解加工方法的研究,解决叶根电解加工的阴极结构、加工路径设计等难题。首先,分析了叶根的残留分布情况以及叶间通道的结构,采用了电解扫掠成形加工方案。其次,设计了阴极结构与加工路径,在阴极结构上采用了扇形流道并分析了电解液流速分布,通过增加引流槽、改变倾角等措施改善了流场;对阴极的运动路径进行了规划,利用专用仿真软件对阴极运动干涉与加工程序进行了检验;通过附加叶盘转动补偿了由于不同截面内叶间通道宽度与阴极刃口尺寸不一致给加工带来的不足。最后,制作了电解加工装置并通过试验对叶根电解加工方法进行了验证。试验结果表明,该加工方法有效去除了叶根残留,加工表面质量好,加工精度达到了要求。     

Simulation and experimental investigation on a dynamic lateral flow mode in trepanning electrochemical machining

An appropriate flow mode of electrolyte has a positive effect on process efficiency, surface roughness, and machining accuracy in the electrochemical machining(ECM) process. In this study, a new dynamic lateral flow mode, in which the electrolyte flows from the leading edge to the trailing edge, was proposed in trepanning ECM of a diffuser. Then a numerical model of the channel was set up and simulated by using computational fluid dynamics software. The result showed that the distribution of the flow field was comparatively uniform in the inter-electrode gap. Furthermore, a fixture was designed to realize this new flow mode and then corresponding experiments were carried out. The experimental results illustrated that the feeding rate of the cathode reached 2 mm/min, the best taper angle was about 0.4°, and the best surface roughness was up to Ra= 0.115 lm. It reflects that this flow mode is suitable and effective, and can also be applied to machining other complex structures in trepanning ECM.     

Experimental research on electrochemical machining of titanium alloy Ti60 for a blisk

Ti60(Ti–5.6Al–4.8Sn–2Zr–1Mo–0.35Si–0.7Nd) is a high-temperature titanium alloy that is now used for important components of aircraft engines. Electrochemical machining(ECM) is a promising technique that has several advantages, such as a high machining rate, and can be used on a wide range of difficult-to-process materials. In this paper, orthogonal experiments are conducted to investigate ECM of Ti60, with the aim of determining the influences of some electrochemical process parameters on the surface roughness. The most important parameter is found to be the frequency of the pulsed power supply. It is found that using suitably optimized parameters for ECM can greatly decrease the surface roughness of a workpiece. A surface roughness of approximately 0.912 lm can be obtained with the following optimal parameters: Na Cl electrolyte concentration 13wt%, voltage20 V, pulse frequency 0.4 k Hz, duty cycle 0.3, temperature 23 °C, and anode feed rate 0.5 mm/min.Furthermore, blisk blades have been successfully processed using these optimized parameters.     

Four-axis trochoidal toolpath planning for rough milling of aero-engine blisks

The Blade Integrated Disk (Blisk) is one of the key components in the aero-engine, it is generally manufactured by the multi-axis milling and almost 90% raw materials are removed. To avoid the full immersion of a cutter in the rough machining of a blisk channel, the trochoidal milling is a promising strategy since it can keep a small immersion angle in the rough milling process while maintaining the high machining efficiency. However, while toolpaths are being planned for the trochoidal milling process, the conventional methods are mainly for the planar machining area with fixed tool orientations, which cannot be used for complex channels where the multi-axis machining should be employed. To this end, this paper presents a four-axis trochoidal toolpath planning method with a ball-end cutter, and thus the blisk channel can be machined efficiently. For this to happen, the trochoidal paths are planned in the parametric domain and then mapped into the physical domain, with tool orientations controlled by the quaternion interpolation method to have smooth tool movement along the toolpaths. Both geometric simulation and physical milling experiments of the proposed method have convincingly demonstrated the validation of the proposed method.     

Experimental investigation of rotary sinking electrochemical discharge milling with high-conductivity salt solution and non-pulsed direct current

Electrochemical milling is a modified technique of traditional electrochemical machining (ECM) that can be used to manufacture some helicopter transmission system parts. The use of rotary tools and an inner-jet electrolyte supply pattern can greatly improve the material removal rate (MRR) in a single pass. However, the feed speed is generally limited to minimize the tool wear. To increase the MRR, electrical discharge machining (EDM) is introduced into the electrochemical milling process. The tool rotation is employed to interrupt the discharge and the high-conductivity salt solution and non-pulsed direct current power supply are also adopted to increase ECM, eventually, a new machining method is proposed, which can be called rotary sinking electrochemical discharge milling (RSECD milling). The mechanism of it is explored in this study by analyzing the machined current, MRR, surface morphology, and tool wear at different applied voltages and feed speeds. Besides, the RSECD milling using the tool with a larger diameter is also conducted to further verify the effectiveness. In particular, the MRR can be increased by 742.5% when using the tool with a diameter of 20 mm at the applied voltage of 20 V.     

三元流闭式叶轮组合电加工技术研究Ⅰ——总体方案设计及关键技术

针对难切削材料三元流闭式叶轮上复杂弯扭型腔的加工难题,提出数控电解(NC-ECM)/数控电火花(NC-EDM)组合加工数字化制造技术方案。本文重点论述了其总体方案设计及关键技术,包括总体工艺流程设计,数控电解预加工中阴极及运动轨迹设计,数控电火花精加工中电极及加工轨迹设计,工装夹具设计以及加工参数的选择与优化等问题。成功试制了合格的某型三元流闭式叶轮,试验结果表明,组合电加工技术能够满足三元流闭式叶轮的实际生产要求。     

Electrochemical machining of a convex strips structure on a revolving part by using site directed power interruption

Revolving parts with complex surface structures are widely used in machinery and mechanical equipment. The ECM process provides its adequacy to cut hard materials with different shapes, and its applications are widely increased, due to its outstanding advantages. In this paper, a new method for machining a convex strips structure on a cylinder by using site directed power interruption(SDPI) in the ECM process is presented. A variable correction value of the power-off time was defined and optimized to obtain the ideal interval for better machining accuracy and stability.The electric field distribution and the simulated convex profiles show that the stray current density can be reduced effectively by using the proposed method. The correction value has an important influence on the machining accuracy. A suitable correction value in the range of 0.6–1.2 s can effectively improve the machining accuracy of the convex strips structure. Experiments were also conducted to verify the proposed method. Results have confirmed that the stray corrosion on the convex strips surface is significantly reduced and the machining accuracy of convex strips structure is remarkably improved by using the proposed method with a suitable correction value in the ECM process. Finally, a convex strip with a height of 2 mm on a thin-wall revolving part was also produced successfully using a correction value of 0.9.     

精密复杂曲面零件多轴数控加工技术研究进展

多轴数控（CNC）加工是现代工业中的标志性加工技术,在能源、动力、国防、运载工具、航空航天等制造领域的关键零部件加工中占据着主导地位。随着这些领域中高端装备性能要求越来越高,涌现出一大批加工难度大、性能指标要求苛刻的精密复杂曲面零件,其加工已由以往单纯的形位精度要求,跃升为形位与性能指标并重的高性能加工要求,给传统的复杂曲面零件数控加工技术带来了严峻挑战。针对精密复杂曲面零件形位精度保证、加工效率提升及动态切削过程可控等关键技术问题,从多轴数控加工的高效加工路径设计、进给率规划以及加工动力学分析等方面,详细论述相关加工技术的研究现状、存在的难点和核心问题,指出可行的解决途径、突破方向和未来的发展趋势,为实现复杂曲面零件的高性能数控加工提供参考和依据。     

Investigation of anode shaping process during co-rotating electrochemical machining of convex structure on inner surface

A novel co-rotating electrochemical machining method is proposed for fabricating convex structures on the inner surface of a revolving part. The electrodes motion and material removal method of co-rotating electrochemical machining are different from traditional electrochemical machining. An equivalent kinematic model is established to analyze the novel electrodes motion,since the anode and cathode rotate in the same direction while the cathode simultaneously feeds along the line of centres. Acc...