Effect of the Al2O3 powder addition on the metal removal rate and the surface roughness of the electrochemical grinding machining

Abstract

The integrated electrochemical grinding machining has received wide acceptance in the aircraft turbine industry for the machining of blades, vanes, and honeycomb seal rings. Also, medical devices, instruments and forceps, shells, precision nozzles, instrument coupling, and air rotor motors that produced from stainless steel and new materials have all successfully been accomplished with electrochemical grinding. To improve the metal removal rate and to reduce the surface roughness ( Ra) of the electrochemical grinding at high voltages, an integration between the alumina abrasive jet and the electrochemical grinding machining has been performed. The effect of the Al2O3 abrasive content on the metal removal rate and the Ra of the K110 alloy steel using Everite electrochemical grinding 618 at different voltages, different feed rates, different electrolyte NaCl concentrations, and different depths of the cut were successfully investigated. The results revealed that the abrasive electrochemical grinding was better than the electrochemical grinding results. The maximum effect of the Al2O3 on the metal removal rate was achieved at 5 wt.%. The current density in the machining gap was affected by the addition of the Al2O3, where it was decreased at percentages over 5-wt.% Al2O3. The abrasive electrochemical grinding resulted in lower surface roughness than the electrochemical grinding process.