A method for electropolishing a manufactured metallic article, the method comprising: contacting the metallic article with an electropolishing electrolyte; and electropolishing the metallic article in the electropolishing electrolyte through the application of an applied current regime comprising: at least one electropolishing regime, each electropolishing regime comprising a current density of at least 2 A/cm.sup.2 and a voltage comprising a shaped waveform having a frequency from 2 Hz to 300 kHz, a minimum voltage of at least 0 V and a maximum voltage of between 0.5 to 500 V.

A device for insulating a cathode surface in electrochemical machining is provided. The cathode surface insulation device is characterized in that super-hydrophobic micro-structures are prepared in regions to be insulated on the cathode surface, so as to realize selective insulation of the surface of the tool cathode, and thereby achieve objects of constraining an electrical field in the processing area, reducing stray corrosion and side surface taper, and improving processing efficiency and accuracy.

A technique of removing material from metal parts referred to as OPECM and a corresponding OPECM processing machine are disclosed. A tool electrode is manufactured for removing material from a target workpiece, and the workpiece and tool electrode are fixed into a processing machine that imparts an oscillatory motion path or profile and applies a voltage through a flowing electrolyte solution. The disclosed technique and processing machine removes material from the surface of the target workpiece through proximal surface dissolution as the workpiece and tool electrode are brought within proximity of one another.

The invention relates to the technical field of electrochemical machining and provides a pulse dynamic electrochemical machining apparatus and method for rapidly leveling a surface of a revolving part. During rotating pulse dynamic electrochemical machining, a cathode tool rotates around a center point of the cathode tool at a constant angular velocity, and an anode workpiece rotates around a center point of the anode workpiece at the constant angular velocity; meanwhile, the cathode tool performs a feed movement at a set feed velocity along a center line of the cathode tool and the anode workpiece. A control system determines a machining voltage value output by a power source when each contour point of the anode workpiece rotates to a machining area to automatically change an applied voltage between the cathode tool and the anode workpiece.

This paper describes an invention involving an electrochemical discharge-enabled micro-grinding process for micro-components of silicon-based materials. The specific machining method is described below. A micro-grinding tool and an auxiliary electrode are respectively connected to the negative and positive electrodes of a pulsed DC power supply. When the current flows through the loop, an electrochemical hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) occurs at the micro-grinding tool in the grinding fluid, which generate multiple hydrogen bubbles. The bubbles coalesce into an insulating gas film and separate the micro-grinding tool from the grinding fluid; when the critical voltage is reached, the gas film is broken down and an electrochemical discharge occurs accompanied by discharge spark; under the action of the discharge spark, the surface material of the workpiece in the discharge-affected region is directly ablated to generate a heat-affected layer (HAL), namely, physical modification.

A device for insulating a cathode surface in electrochemical machining is provided. The cathode surface insulation device is characterized in that super-hydrophobic micro-structures are prepared in regions to be insulated on the cathode surface, so as to realize selective insulation of the surface of the tool cathode, and thereby achieve objects of constraining an electrical field in the processing area, reducing stray corrosion and side surface taper, and improving processing efficiency and accuracy.

A pulsed electrochemical machining (pECM) system including a tool body defining a tool axis and a proximal end and a distal end. The tool body includes one or more electrodes, each of the one or more electrodes defining a working surface at the distal end of the tool axis configured to face a workpiece. Electrolyte at least partially fills an interelectrode gap defined by the working surface at the distal end of the tool axis and a target surface of the workpiece. A first flow block coupled to the tool body and a second flow block coupled to the workpiece are configured to form at least one seal surrounding at least a portion of a perimeter of the interelectrode gap, and the at least one seal is configured to reduce or eliminate flow of the electrolyte out of the portion of the perimeter of the interelectrode gap.

A method for pulsed electrochemical machining (pECM) a turbine component, comprising: generating a pulsed direct current between one or more electrodes of a machining tool and the turbine component, wherein the machining tool comprises a tool body defining a tool axis, the tool body comprising the one or more electrodes, each of the one or more electrodes comprising an electrically conductive material and defining a working surface at a distal end of the tool axis configured to face the turbine component; delivering an electrolyte into an interelectrode gap between the working surface of the one or more electrodes and a target surface of the turbine component; and positioning the working surface of the one or more electrodes relative to the target surface of the turbine component to remove material from the target surface of the turbine component.

The disclosure describes a pulsed electrochemical machining (pECM) tool that includes a tool body defining a tool axis and including one or more electrodes. Each of the one or more electrodes includes an electrically conductive material and defines a working surface at a distal end of the tool axis configured to face a workpiece. An electrical conductivity of at least one electrode varies across the working surface of the respective electrode.

In some examples, a pulsed electrochemical machining (pECM) system including a first tool body including a first electrode defining a working surface at a distal end of the tool axis configured to face a workpiece and a second tool body including a second electrode defining a working surface at a distal end of the tool axis configured to face a workpiece. The system includes a mechanical system configured to position the working surface of the first tool body relative to the workpiece and configured to position the working surface of the second tool body relative to the workpiece. The system includes an electrolyte system configured to supply electrolyte to a first interelectrode gap and a second interelectrode gap and a power supply configured to generate a pulsed direct current between the first tool body and the workpiece and the second tool body and the workpiece.