INTRODUCTION:-

Electrochemical discharge machining (ECDM) is a machining

process which provides acceptable efficiency and low cost to shape non-
conductive materials. The multi-physic nature of this process can
overcome the significant problems of hardness and brittleness of glasses
and ceramics. Basically, the electrochemical discharge phenomenon
takes place when two electrodes are immersed in a conductive
electrolyte. When DC current is applied between electrodes, the
electrolysis phenomenon produces gas bubbles around the electrodes.
Smaller electrode is completely isolated from the electrolyte when
enough volume of bubbles is generated to form the gas film around the
electrode. As a result, electric discharge happens between the tool and
electrolyte (which is in contact with the anode). In this condition, if the
workpiece is placed in a position close to the electrolyte surface and
discharge location, part of discharge energy reaches to the workpiece
and melts a small portion of the material. Chemical etching is another
mechanism which plays small role on the material removal (MR) [1]. In
order to better understanding differences of the ECDM compared with
electro-chemical machining (ECM) and electro-discharge machining
(EDM) processes, brief comparisons between ECDM and mentioned
processes are presented. Comparison of ECDM and ECM: In ECM
process, material removal takes place by electrochemical phenomenon,
but in ECDM, electrochemical phenomenon is limited to the electrolysis
around the tool and formation of gas film. So, in ECDM, material
removal does not happen by electrochemical mechanism. Also, a small
portion of material removal is done by chemical etching. Against ECM,
in ECDM process electrolyte flow and high current density are not
necessary. Comparison of ECDM and EDM: In EDM process, discharge
takes place between the tool and workpiece, but in ECDM discharge
takes place between the tool and electrolyte and the workpiece receives
some part of discharge thermal power. In ECDM, after formation of the
gas film discharge can appear, but in EDM process this limitation does
not exist.

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 Figure 1. A schematic view of the ECDM experimental configuration.

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MATERIALS AND METHODS:-
Tungsten carbide drilling tools with the diameter of 0.5 mm
and NaOH electrolyte were employed. Soda lime glass slides were
selected as workpiece. A special electric board was used to generate
fully controlled electric pulse. Ultrasonic vibration was achieved by the
application of the ultrasonic generatorwith the maximum power of 1.5
kW. The workpiece was placed 70 μm below the tool. Material removal
and tool wear were measured by using a semi-microbalance from
Sartorius Company with the precision of 10.5 g. Modal analysis was
used to determine the position with the maximum amplitude of
vibration. As it is shown in Fig. 2(a), maximum amplitude takes place in
the tool tip. An actual view of the UAECDM experimental configuration
is shown in Fig. 2(b). Employed electric board, with the time resolution
of 10^-4 s, is shown in Fig. 2(c).
Experimental study on UAECDM was done by consideration of
three parameters from vibration and machining factors which are
summarized in Table 1. Totally, 36 experiments were done and results
were analyzed. The applied DC voltage was kept constant as 32 V.

PARAMETER VALUE
Ultrasonic amplitude (μm) 0,5,10,15
Electrolyte temperature (°C) 25,45,65
Electrolyte concentration (wt%) 20,25, 30
Table 1. Considered parameters in the experimental section
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Figure 2. (a) Results of modal analysis and the maximum amplitude on the tool tip,
(b) actual view of the UAECDM experimental configuration, (c) electric board.

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 
MEASUREMENT PROCEDURE:-
Due to the precision of available semi-microbalance, a special
procedure was used to measure the material removal and tool wear.
First, the workpiece was weighed before the ECDM (UAECDM) was
exerted. In order to measure the removed material by every discharge,
the single discharge of ECDM was repeated 30 times on the glass
workpiece as shown in Fig. 3(a). This procedure allowed measuring the
removed material by the available balance. Weight of the workpiece,
after machining, was compared with the related value before the
machining process. Recorded weight reduction was divided into the
number of repetitions, and the (average) material removal was obtained
for every single discharge (single pulse). In this research, tool wear was
determined by measuring the weight loss which was caused commonly
by discharge(s) on the tool tip as it is shown in Fig. 3(b). Tool wear was
evaluated in a manner similar to the material removal measuring
procedure.

Figure 3. (a) Craters on the workpiece, (b) sample of single discharge on the
tool tip (major cutting edge) without ultrasonic vibration.

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 
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION:-

CURRENT SIGNAL:-
The current signal is the best method to examine the
discharge behavior and shows the variation of consumed current during
a specific period of time. In order to study the effect of ultrasonic
vibration on the change of discharge behavior, schematic views of
current signal and gas film variations are shown in Fig. 4(a, b).

Figure 4. (a) Schematic comparison of gas film during ECDM and UAECDM, (b) schematic
comparison of current signal during ECDM and UAECDM.

 
EFFECT OF PARAMETERS ON MATERIAL REMOVAL:-

Material removal in the ECDM takes place by discharge and

chemical mechanisms. In the single discharge of ECDM process,
discharge mechanism has the greatest influence on the material removal
related to chemical mechanism.
Material removal improvement for every parameter is defined
as the variation of mean value of the material removal for every value of
selected parameter compared with the smallest value of mentioned
parameter. As can be seen in Fig. 5, increasing the vibration amplitude
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leads to larger material removal, but implementation of a very large
ultrasonic amplitude (15 μm) destroys the favorite trend of amplitude
effectiveness. Using the larger values of mentioned parameters achieve
greater material removal and improve the machining efficiency.
Electrolyte concentration affects the two main material
removal mechanisms (chemical and discharge). More concentrated
electrolyte provides a higher thermal conductivity which leads to
transfer more discharge thermal energy to the workpiece surface, so
larger material removal is achieved. But, in the single discharge of
ECDM and due to the short length of pulse on time, chemical
mechanism has not significant effect on the material removal.

Figure 5. Mean values of material removal improvement.


(AVERAGE) TOOL WEAR:-
Same as material removal analysis, the study on the tool wear
starts with ANOVA to determine the effectiveness ranking of considered
parameters. As can be seen in Fig-6, contribution results show that
electrolyte temperature is the first effective parameter with the
contribution of 38%. Vibration amplitude and electrolyte concentration
are next effective parameters with contributions of 31.2% and 28%,
respectively.
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 Figure 6. Mean values of tool wear reduction.


EFFECT OF PARAMETERS ON TOOL WEAR:-
In the case of single discharge, chemical mechanism has little
effect on the tool wear. Produced thermal energy in every discharge is
transferred to two components. Some of the energy is transferred to the
small area of the workpiece which leads to material removal. The other
part of discharge energy is transferred to the tool surface which melts
and vaporizes a small area of the tool. In this section, part of discharge
energy which is transferred to the tool is investigated. Figure 7 shows
the SEM image of drilling tool edges. As can be seen, the major cutting
edge is the sharpest edge, so receives much thermal energy while has the
smallest bulk conduction to the tool. A large number of resolidified
spheroid shapes show the mass of molten material.
Generally, each parameter which reinforces the discharge
power leads to transfer more thermal energy to the tool surface and
increases the tool wear. Increasing the electrolyte temperature has
greater effect on the discharge power than the electrolyte concentration.
Application of ultrasonic vibration signifies the convection
mechanism of heat transfer by forced circulating of hydrogen gas around
the tool. So, an excessive cooling mechanism acts on the tool and
smaller material is molte

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Figure 7. (a) Tip of the drilling tool, (b) SEM image of the intersection of edges
on the tip of drilling tool.


CONCLUSIONS:-
In this research, the effect of ultrasonic vibration on a single
discharge of the ECDM process was studied. Ultrasonic vibration,
electrolyte temperature, and concentration were considered as machining
parameters. Material removal and tool wear were studied to examine the
variation of the machining efficiency.
The ultrasonic vibration affects two main events in the ECDM
process. Ultrasonic vibration formed a thinner gas film (result of
electrolysis as an electrochemical phenomenon) and increased the
number of discharges in one pulse. Results of ANOVA showed that the
vibration amplitude was the most effective parameter on the material
removal with the contribution of 61.5%. On the other hand, ultrasonic
vibration signified the cooling (convection) mechanism on the tool, so
lower material was melt and smaller tool wear was achieved.
Electrolyte temperature was more effective on the material
removal and tool wear (with contributions of 23% and 31.2%,
respectively) compared with electrolyte concentration (with
contributions of 13.8% and 28%, respectively). Electrolyte temperature
and concentration improved one of the efficiency indicators (material
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removal), while reduced the other indicator (tool wear). So, the effect of
these two parameters on the improvement of total machining efficiency
was uncertain.
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 REFERENCES:-
S. Elhami and M. R. Razfar, M.R.” Experimental study of the tool
wear during the electrochemical discharge machining”. “Materials
and Manufacturing Processes” 2016, 31, 574–580.

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