Experimental investigations into machining accuracy and surface roughness of microgrooves fabricated by electrochemical micromachining

Abstract

Microgrooves are one of the basic microfeatures fabricated on different microproducts, used to integrate micro systems in various fields. Service life and product functioning of microproducts are directly influenced by shape, size, and surface quality of microgrooves fabricated on it. Hence, these are the important criteria to be considered while fabricating microgrooves on micro devices. This article presents the experimental study into fabrication of microgrooves on stainless steel by electrochemical micromachining. The influence of electrochemical micromachining process parameters like applied voltage, pulse frequency, duty ratio, electrolyte concentration, and microtool scanning speed on machining accuracy, that is, width overcut, length overcut and depth overcut, material removal rate, linearity of microgroove, depth profile, and surface finish were investigated during microgroove generation. From the experimental results, optimal parameters obtained were applied voltage of 2.6 V, pulse frequency of 8 MHz, 30% duty ratio, electrolyte concentration of 0.15 M H2SO4, and microtool scanning speed of 93.75 μm/s for machining of accurate microgroove, with best surface finish. Finally, microfeatures like “C”-shaped microgroove of rectangular cross section and multiple microgrooves as required in micro thermal devices have been machined with optimal parametric settings. This study will be useful for machining of need-based microgrooves on microproducts like micro actuators, micro pumps, micro coolers, and micromixers.