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Machines
◀ Processes like PECM that do not utilize contact or heat to remove material may be capable of machining features sensitive to tool vibration or thermal distortion .
▶ An illustration of PECM in action , including its four key components : the cathode , anode , electrolytic fluid and power supply .
amount of material removal , especially if the workpiece is a piece of bar stock or is not a near-net shape .
■ PECM ’ s lack of contact or heat also creates little-to-no tool wear , allowing high repeatability ( down to < 10um ), making PECM optimal for high-volume production .
■ However , designing a tool requires a complex and iterative engineering process that may not be ideal for short term work but better fit for a job shop .
■ PECM is concerned with a material ’ s conductive properties , rather than its toughness , allowing it to machine nickel superalloys at a similar rate to copper - especially useful for advanced materials used in the aerospace and medical device industries .
■ However , its capabilities are limited only to conductive materials ; PECM cannot machine plastics , polymers , or anything else non-conductive .
■ A custom-designed cathode can machine dozens of features or parts simultaneously , and so long as there is sufficient amperage , the material removal rate is not affected by this parallel processing .
■ However , developing the tooling capable of parallel processing can be cost-prohibitive for low-volume and prototyping work . Manufacturers must be mindful that
with each unique benefit of a given material removal process comes a unique drawback that requires additional consideration - such as being mindful of the electrical conductivity of the workpiece material , with PECM or weighing additional or unexpected NRE costs .
Engineers often make compromises to best adhere to the constraints of the machining processes to close the ‘ advanced manufacturing gap ’ - but sometimes , it may be best for the machining processes themselves to evolve and adapt to new challenges and market demands , and new technologies like PECM may be just the right candidate to enact that very change . ■
Kirk Gino Abolafia www . voxelinnovations . com
Kirk Gino Abolafia is the technical marketing and sales manager for Voxel Innovations , an advanced manufacturing company located in Raleigh , NC that specializes in the development of pulsed electrochemical machining ( PECM ) for applications in the energy , aerospace , and medical device industries .
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