Improvement on surface quality of Inconel-718 slits via laser cutting and wire electrochemical machining processes

In the paper, we present a combined gas-assisted laser machining and wire electrochemical machining (W-ECM) process to improve the surface quality of slits produced in Inconel-718, a high-strength nickel-based alloy widely used in aircraft engine parts. First, a laser cutting was applied to produce the slit structure in Inconel-718, where the power and feed rate were varied to identify the optimal processing parameters. Subsequently, the slits were processed by a custom-developed W-ECM process. The results were evaluated by characterizing the surface roughness and kerf width of the slits. Through this combined approach, a 90% average improvement on surface finish was achieved with a 10% increase in kerf width. In addition, the typical striation marks and thermal damages from laser machining processes were entirely eliminated in all slits. The new process is precise and lowcost, which may find important applications in high-precision laser machining applications.

Automated summary

This paper presents a combined gas-assisted laser machining and wire electrochemical machining (W-ECM) process for improving the surface quality of slits produced in Inconel-718, a widely used high-strength nickel-based alloy in aircraft engine parts. Laser cutting was first applied to produce the slit structure and optimize the processing parameters, followed by the custom-developed W-ECM process. The combined approach achieved a 90% average improvement in surface finish with a 10% increase in kerf width, eliminating striation marks and thermal damages.