Investigation on Wire Electrochemical Discharge Micro-Machining

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Manufacturing Engineering
• Electrochemistry

Background:

• Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) development increases demand for machining difficult-to-machine metal micro parts.
• Micro-electric discharge machining (MEDM) is effective for these materials but creates detrimental recast layers.
• Recast layers negatively impact the properties of machined micro-parts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and investigate Wire Electrochemical Discharge Micro-Machining (WECDMM) as a novel method.
• To develop and optimize a new electrolyte system for WECDMM that prevents recast layer formation.
• To elucidate the WECDMM mechanism and analyze process parameter effects on machined features.

Main Methods:

• Developed a Wire Electrochemical Discharge Micro-Machining (WECDMM) process.
• Optimized electrolyte composition through comparative experiments, identifying NaNO3-glycol solution as optimal.
• Investigated the influence of electrolyte conductivity, pulse voltage, pulse-on time, and wire feed rate on machining outcomes.
• Analyzed slit width, standard deviation, fillet radius, and roughness.

Main Results:

• A novel electrolyte system was developed, effectively removing recast layers during micro-machining.
• NaNO3-glycol solution demonstrated superior performance as the electrolyte.
• Key process parameters were analyzed, revealing their impact on micro-machined feature dimensions and surface quality.
• Successful machining of typical microstructures validated the WECDMM process capabilities.

Conclusions:

• WECDMM is a viable and effective method for micro-machining difficult-to-machine metals.
• The developed electrolyte system successfully mitigates recast layer formation, improving material properties.
• The study provides a foundation for optimizing WECDMM for high-precision micro-fabrication.