Cryogenic-Shielded Laser-Assisted Electrochemical Machining

High-energy-field advanced manufacturing under extreme service requirements is often constrained by transient temperature rise and thermal gradients, which induce resolidification defects, residual stress, and interfacial reaction instability. With cryogenic machining as its central theme, this study introduces mathematical models describing temperature evolution during machining. It reviews the effects of low-temperature, subzero temperature and cryogenic temperature on mechanical, laser, and electrochemical machining, including reducing the initial temperature, reconstructing heat transfer pathways, and modifying the temperature-dependent properties of materials and electrolytes, thereby suppressing heat accumulation and stabilizing interfacial reactions and microstructural evolution. Particular emphasis is placed on subzero-temperature-shielded laser-assisted electrochemical machining, which achieves spatial decoupling by inhibiting reactions in nonmachining regions through subzero shielding while activating the machining zone via transient laser excitation. This approach enables simultaneous high selectivity, geometric consistency, and process stability. Future development directions, including expanding material applicability, transient mechanism modeling, and intelligent closed-loop control, are also discussed.