Effects of Circular Hydraulic Jump on the Material Removal Characteristics of Jet Electrochemical Machining

Abstract

Jet electrochemical machining (Jet-ECM) is a potential precision machining method. Due to the advantages of non-stress-free machining and high flexibility, it is widely used in surface finishing and complex structural machining. However, the “w” shaped removal profile and wide removal range caused by inappropriate process parameters reduce the stability and localizability of Jet-ECM. In this paper, the material removal characteristics of Jet-ECM were investigated both theoretically and experimentally. A multi-physics field simulation model for Jet-ECM was established, and the overall shape of the circular hydraulic jump (CHJ), current density distribution and workpiece deformation were calculated. The effects of CHJ on the material removal characteristics were investigated by experiments with jet flow rate and inter-electrode gap (IEG) distance. The results reveal the qualitative relationship between CHJ states and process parameters and give the range of parameters that can form a stable CHJ and ensure a Gaussian shaped removal profile and a narrower removal range. This study provides theoretical guidance on the process parameters of Jet-ECM to improve its processing stability and localizability, which is significant for the accuracy of surface finishing and the controllability of complex structural machining, promoting the further application of Jet-ECM.