Macro-electrolyte jet machining of TC4 titanium alloy using a rear-end tilt tool

Improving material removal rate and surface quality are the key issues in macro-electrolyte jet machining. The current density of the workpiece surface significantly influences material removal rate and surface quality. A novel tool with the rear-end tilted is proposed to increase the current density of the workpiece surface. The flow field simulation results demonstrate that, in comparison with standard tools, the tool with the rear-end tilted not only enables the rear-end contact with electrolyte but also enhances the rear-end electrolyte flow rate. The electric field simulation results showed that, in comparison with standard tools, the tool with the rear-end tilted enabled the rear-end to participate in the electrochemical dissolution of the workpiece surface and increased the current density of the workpiece surface. The experimental results show that the material removal rate of the workpiece is increased by 27 % and the surface roughness Ra is reduced from 6.71 mu m to 2.52 mu m by tools with a rear-end tilt angle of 15 degrees compared with the standard tool. In addition, when a tool with a rear-end tilt angle of 15 degrees is used to process the plane structure, the protrusion phenomenon of tool marks at the intersection of parallel trajectories with a step-over of 9.25 mm is the smallest, with a protrusion phenomenon of 0.092 mm.

Automated summary

This study focuses on the key issues of improving material removal rate and surface quality in macro-electrolyte jet machining. By introducing a novel tool with the rear-end tilted, the current density of the workpiece surface can be increased, leading to improved machining performance. Experimental results show that the tool with a rear-end tilt angle of 15 degrees significantly enhances the material removal rate and reduces surface roughness compared to the standard tool.