Machining of a film-cooling hole in a single-crystal superalloy by high-speed electrochemical discharge drilling

Single-crystal superalloys are typical advanced materials used for manufacturing aeroengine turbine blades. Their unique characteristics of high hardness and strength make them exceedingly difficult to machine. However, a key structure of a turbine blade, the film-cooling hole,needs to be machined in a single-crystal superalloy; such machining is challenging, especially considering the increasing levels of machining efficiency and quality demanded by the aeroengine industry. Tube electrode high-speed electrochemical discharge drilling(TSECDD), a hybrid technique of high-speed electrical discharge drilling and electrochemical machining, provides high machining efficiency and accuracy, as well as eliminating the recast layer. In this study, TSECDD is used to machine a film-cooling hole in a nickel-based single-crystal superalloy(DD6). The Taguchi methods of experiment are used to optimise the machining parameters. Experimental results show that TSECDD can effectively drill the film-cooling hole; the optimum parameters that give the best performance are as follows: pulse duration: 12 ls, pulse interval: 30 ls, peak current:6 A, and salt solution conductivity: 3 m S/cm. Finally, a hole is machined by TSECDD, and the results are compared with those obtained by electrical discharge machining. TSECDD is found to be promising for improving the surface quality and eliminating the recast layer.     

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.     

高温合金IN718上气膜冷却孔电火花加工试验

针对高温合金IN718上ø0.5mm气膜冷却孔的加工,采用煤油中旋转电极内冲液电火花成型加工方法,利用正交试验设计方法对试验进行设计分析,分析峰值电流、脉宽、占空比和冲液压强4个因素对材料去除率和电极相对损耗的影响,基于正交试验结果建立综合评分公式,选择最优加工参数.研究结果表明,峰值电流对材料去除率的影响最明显, 其次为冲液压强和占空比,脉宽对材料去除率的影响很小;峰值电流对电极相对损耗的影响最明显,其次为冲液压强,占空比和脉宽对电极相对损耗的影响很小;最优的加工参数峰值电流为8A、脉宽为130μs、占空比为0.35、冲液压强为5MPa,对该参数进行加工试验研究,与分析结果一致.      

Flow field design and process stability in electrochemical machining of diamond holes

The metal grille, commonly composed of an amount of diamond holes, has been grow-ingly used as a key structure on stealth aircraft. Electrochemical machining (ECM) promises to be increasingly applied in aircraft manufacturing on the condition that process stability is guaranteed. In this work, a flow field model was designed to improve the process stability. This model is endowed with a variety of flow channel features, together with vibrating feeding modes. The flow field distribution on the bottom surface of the diamond hole was discussed and evaluated as well. The numerical results show that a short arc flow channel could significantly enhance the uniformity of electrolyte velocity distribution and a vibrating feeding of the cathode enables to reduce both fluctuations of the electrolyte velocity and pressure on the bottom surface of the diamond hole. Consequently, the flow field mutations were eliminated. It is verified from the experimental results that a short arc flow channel, when combined with vibrating feeding, is capable of improving machining localization and process stability markedly. What is more, the side gap on the bottom surface of the diamond hole could also be reduced by the abovementioned approach.     

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...     

Breakthrough detection in electrochemical discharge drilling to enhance machining stability

Film cooling holes are widely used in aero-engine turbine blades. These blades feature large numbers of holes with complex angles and require a high level of surface integrity. Electrochemical discharge drilling(ECDD) combines the high efficiency of electrical discharge drilling(EDD) with high quality of electrochemical drilling(ECD). However, due to the existence of a variety of energy for material removal, accurate and timely detection of breakthroughs is fraught with difficulties. An insuffic...     

Trajectory optimisation in electrical discharge machining of three-dimensional curved and twisted channels

Numerical control electrical discharge machining(NC EDM) is one of the most widely used machining technologies for manufacturing a closed blisk flow path, particularly for three-dimensional(3D) curved and twisted flow channels. In this process, tool electrode design and machining trajectory planning are the key factors affecting machining accessibility and efficiency. Herein, to reduce the difficulty in designing the electrode and its motion path in the closed curved and twisted channels, a heur...     

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.     

Flow field design and experimental investigation of electrochemical machining on blisk

Flow field is a crucial factor to influence the stability and surface quality in the electrochemical machining (ECM) of blisks. A four-way flow mode was proposed to eliminate mixing regions of electrolyte at the leading and tailing edges. Two flow field models were described separately in this report: a W-shaped flow mode and a four-way flow mode. The flow field was analyzed through a finite element method. The results showed that, in comparison with the W-shaped flow mode, the distribution of electrolyte flow was more uniformed and the mixed region in the flow channel was improved. The pressure of the leading and tailing edges inlets was optimized, and optimal pressure of 0.6 MPa was determined. In addition, verification experiments were performed, and the results showed that the stability, efficiency, and quality of the profiles of the blisk blade manufactured by ECM were enhanced in the new flow mode.     

脉冲电流大厚度电解线切割加工试验

航空航天难加工材料直纹面构件的高精度高表面完整性加工已经成为制造领域普遍关注和亟需解决的难题,电解线切割加工在高表面完整性要求加工场合上具有原理性优势。建立脉冲电流电解线切割加工模型,分析了工件厚度变化带来的影响。试验结果表明：随着工件厚度增加,电解液电阻减小,工件两端极间电压减小,加工缝宽变窄;双电层时间常数增大,脉宽时间内充电所能达到的电位降低,有效加工时间变短,平均电流密度较低;脉冲频率大于20 kHz时,最大进给速度随频率增加而快速减小,低于20 kHz时,最大加工速度差别较小。最后,采用脉冲频率20 kHz,以进给速度4 μm/s稳定加工出20 mm厚榫头/榫槽结构,表面粗糙度约为0.449 4 μm,表面质量、加工效率明显高于100 kHz加工效果。     

Electrochemical micromachining of micro-dimple arrays on cylindrical inner surfaces using a dry-film photoresist

The application of surface textures has been employed to improve the tribological performance of various mechanical components. Various techniques have been used for the application of surface textures such as micro-dimple arrays, but the fabrication of such arrays on cylindrical inner surfaces remains a challenge. In this study, a dry-film photoresist is used as a mask during through-mask electrochemical micromachining to successfully prepare micro-dimple arrays with dimples 94 lm in diameter and 22.7 lm deep on cylindrical inner surfaces, with a machining time of 9 s and an applied voltage of 8 V. The versatility of this method is demonstrated, as are its potential low cost and high efficiency. It is also shown that for a fixed dimple depth, a smaller dimple diameter can be obtained using a combination of lower current density and longer machining time in a passivating sodium nitrate electrolyte.     

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.     

冰层辅助对电火花-电解复合穿孔的影响

电火花-电解复合穿孔(ECDD)加工方法有望实现难加工材料涡轮叶片气膜冷却孔无重铸层高效加工,为了进一步提升小孔孔壁的加工质量,提出了在工件底部填充冰层的电火花-电解复合穿孔加工新方法。分析了冰层辅助对复合加工过程中两极之间电流电压的波形、复合穿孔的加工效率、小孔的出入口孔径、孔壁重铸层去除等的影响,进行了冰层辅助与无冰层辅助电火花-电解复合穿孔对比试验。试验表明:冰层辅助加工可以在小孔穿透之后形成充分的反向冲液,有效地解决小孔穿透之后的漏液问题。在增加底部停顿时间的基础上,即小孔穿透后管电极到达预设深度继续停留一段时间,延长管电极对孔壁的电解作用时间,可以显著提高重铸层的去除效果,有望实现小孔整个孔壁重铸层的完全去除。     

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.     

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.     

Improvement of machining accuracy in EDCM by enhanced electrochemical reaming based on a non-metallic backing layer

Electrochemical Discharge Machining (ECDM) is potentially applicable for the fabrication of film-cooling holes. However, It is extremely difficult for the holes to achieve higher precision and machining quality owing to the working liquid diminish in the lateral machining gap. In this study, a non-metallic backing layer was proposed to overcome the diminish of working liquid, and the electrochemical reaming, as a post-processing method for ECDM, was used to further improve the machining accuracy and quality of the holes. First, the three-dimensional morphology of the melted pit of a paraffin backing layer was scanned to obtain the geometric parameters. Then, simulation analysis and experimental verification of auxiliary flushing by using the non-metallic backing layer were performed. The machining performance of the holes machined with electrochemical reaming based on non-metallic backing layer was confirmed by the observations of the surface topography of the hole wall and orifice, measurement of the orifice precision, and analysis of the element composition on the surface of the orifice wall. Finally, an optimum combination of machining parameters for electrochemical reaming is obtained through a process parameter optimization experiment.     

孔挤压对于高温合金GH4169孔结构高温疲劳性能的影响

根据高压压气机盘螺栓孔结构,设计中心孔板材疲劳试样.表征了孔挤压强化后的表面轮廓,分析了在多种交变载荷条件下孔挤压前后试样的疲劳寿命,并进行了断口观察和疲劳过程中孔挤压残余应力的演化分析.结果表明:孔挤压强化减小了孔壁表面粗糙度,并使孔结构在多种高温大应力条件下（825MPa/600℃、825MPa/400℃和663MPa/600℃）的高温疲劳性能提高1～3倍,但疲劳数据分散度略有增大.孔挤压残余应力在最大拉应力为663MPa,温度为600℃,应力比为01条件下20000次疲劳试验中松弛到60%.原始试样的多源疲劳断口主要起源于孔边的加工刀痕,而挤压强化试样断口起源于孔挤压在倒角区域流动金属堆积处,为单源疲劳断口.      

5mm直径翘边孔横向耦合射流轨迹实验

采用粒子图像测速仪（PIV）对5mm直径翘边孔横向耦合射流流场进行了研究,实验结果表明:射流入射角与翘边孔角度有较大的偏差,但是随着翘边孔角度的增加,射流入射角增大;引入翘边孔射流有效直径,由试验数据得到了有效直径的数值。对射流轨迹曲线进行了拟合,考虑了两种主通道气流速度、四种不同角度的翘边孔和三种不同深度的主通道,方程式能较好地反映小尺寸通道翘边孔射流的流动结构,为今后的流场设计提供依据。      

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.