Hybrid Micromachining and Microfabrication Technologies

5Micro-Electrochemical Piercing on SS 204

Manas Barman, Premangshu Mukhopadhyay* and Goutam Kumar Bose

Department of Mechanical Engineering, Haldia Institute of Technology, West Bengal, India

Abstract

Micro-electrochemical piercing (micro-ECP) is a nonconventional micromachining process used to obtain desired hole impression on the material with accurate dimensional features. Materials get eroded by the chemical reaction process in the machining zone. It is essential to get low tool wear and greater metal removal for assembly practices of miniature products. The need of proper chosen values of process parameters is essential to get the desired performance characteristics for micromachining of alloys. In most of the micromachining processes, one of the most important performance characteristic is the tool wear rate. With excessive tool wear, it will affect the accuracy and shape of microholes. So a need has evolved out to decrease the tool wear and radial overcut related to micro-ECM process. In this research work, an effort has been made to reduce the tool wear and overcut without addition of any external force. Concentration of NaCl electrolyte played a vital role for improving the performance features of microelectrochemical machining of SS 204. Highest MRR of 26.5 µg/min has been recorded for 25 V and 60 Hz. Lowest TWR of 0.035 µg/min and radial overcut of 10 µm of have been depicted for 0.5 M concentration of NaCl solution.

Keywords: Micromachining, µECM, MRR, TWR, overcut, ...