Precision wire electrochemical machining of thick structures in powder superalloy René88DT using a partially insulated tube electrode

Wire electrochemical machining(WECM)is a potential method for manufacturing macrostructures from difficult-to-cut materials,such as turbine slots,with good surface integrity and low costs.In this study,a novel tube electrode with array holes in the front and insulation in the back was applied using WECM to improve the machining precision and efficiency.Additionally,assisted by an immersion electrolyte and axial flushing,the electrolyte-deficient gap was supplemented to achieve the cutting of a very thick workpiece.The simulation results indicated that this method could effectively reduce the machining gap and improve the uniformity of the electric-and flow-field distributions.Experiments verified that when the uninsulated range(machining angle)was reduced from 360°to 90°,the side machining gap was reduced from 462.5µm to 175µm.Finally,using optimized machining parameters,array slits with gaps as small as(175±10)μm were machined on a powder superalloy René88DT sample with a thickness of 10 mm at a feed rate of 16µm/s.The feasibility of fabricating complex profiles using this method was verified using a self-designed servo device.

Electrochemical cutting of mortise-tenon joint structure by rotary tube electrode with helically distributed jet-flow holes

In aero-engines,mortise-tenon joint structures are often used to connect the blades to the turbine disk.The disadvantages associated with conventional manufacturing techniques mean that a low-cost,high-efficiency,and high-quality nickel-based mortise–tenon joint structure is an urgent requirement in the field of aviation engineering.Electrochemical cutting is a potential machining method for manufacturing these parts,as there is no tool degradation in the cutting process and high-quality surfaces can be obtained.To realize the electrochemical cutting of a mortise-tenon joint structure,a method using a tube electrode with helically distributed jet-flow holes on the side-wall is proposed.During feeding,the tube electrode rotates along its central axis.Flow field simulations show that the rotational speed of the tube electrode determines the direct spraying time of the high-speed electrolyte ejected from the jet-flow holes to the machining area,while the electrolyte pressure determines the flow rate of the electrolyte and the velocity of the electrolyte ejected from the jet-flow holes.The machining results using the proposed method are verified experimentally,and the machining parameters are optimized.Finally,mortise and tenon samples are successfully machined using 20 mm thick Inconel 718 alloy with a feeding rate of 5μm/s.

Effect of tube-electrode inner diameter on electrochemical discharge machining of nickel-based superalloy

Nickel-based superalloys are widely employed in modern aircraft engines because of their excellent material characteristics, particularly in the fabrication of film cooling holes. However, the high machining requirement of a large number of film cooling holes can be extremely challenging. The hybrid machining technique of tube electrode high-speed electrochemical discharge drilling (TEHECDD) has been considered as a promising method for the production of film cooling holes. Compared with any single machining process, this hybrid technique requires the removal of more complex machining by-products, including debris produced in the electrical discharge machining process and hydroxide and bubbles generated in the electrochemical machining process. These by-products significantly affect the machining efficiency and surface quality of the machined products. In this study, tube electrodes in different inner diameters are designed and fabricated, and the effects of inner diameter on the machining efficiency and surface quality of TEHECDD are investigated. The results show that larger inner diameters could effectively improve the flushing condition and facilitate the removal of machining by-products. Therefore, higher material removal efficiency, surface quality, and electrode wear rate could be achieved by increasing the inner diameter of the tube electrode. (C) 2015 The Authors. Production and hosting by Elsevier Ltd. on behalf of Chinese Society of Aeronautics and Astronautics.