COMPOUND AND A METHOD OF USING THE COMPOUND

Abstract

A dielectric gel for use in electro-discharge machining. Aspects of the dielectric gel include a liquid solvent phase entrapped in a three-dimensionally cross-linked fibre network.

Claims

1. A dielectric gel for use in electro-discharge machining, comprising a liquid solvent phase entrapped in a three-dimensionally cross-linked fibre network.

2. The dielectric gel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the liquid solvent phase comprises a polar liquid selected from the group consisting of water, arsenic, bismuth, gallium, germanium, and silicon

3. The dielectric gel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the three-dimensionally cross-linked fibre network comprises hydrophilic polymers.

4. The dielectric gel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the liquid solvent phase comprises an organic solvent and water.

5. The dielectric gel as claimed in claim 4, wherein the organic solvent is selected from the group consisting of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons, silicone oil, dimethyl sulfoxide, isopropyl myristate, and vegetable oils.

6. The dielectric gel as claimed in claim 4, wherein the three-dimensionally cross-linked fibre network comprises a fibrous structure formed by a gelator.

7. The dielectric gel as claimed in claim 6, wherein the gelator is selected from the group consisting of lecithin, isopropyl myristate, isopropyl palmitate, dibutyllauroylglutamide, propylene glycol, polyethylene, polyhydric alcohols, sorbitan monostearate, sorbitan monopalmitate, and N-lauryl-L-alanine methyl ester.

8. A method of electro-discharge machining (EDM) an article, the article being located in a workpiece, the method comprising the steps of: providing an EDM device comprising an erosion electrode, and a ground electrode; positioning the erosion electrode proximal to the article; positioning the ground electrode in conductive connection with the article; providing a dielectric gel according to claim 1, to a region bridging the erosion electrode and the article; moving the erosion electrode towards the article and into the dielectric gel; and generating an electrical potential in the erosion electrode sufficient to cause a breakdown in a gap between the erosion electrode and the article, to thereby cause a portion of the article to be eroded, the eroded portion being suspended in the dielectric gel.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the erosion electrode is hollow, and the dielectric gel is dispensed to the region bridging the erosion electrode and the article through the hollow erosion electrode.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein an end of the erosion electrode is coated with the dielectric gel, and as the erosion electrode is moved towards the article, the dielectric gel bridges the region between the erosion electrode and the article.

11. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the dielectric gel has a viscosity characteristic such that a viscosity of the dielectric gel decreases with an increase of the temperature of the region bridging the erosion electrode and the article.

12. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the method comprises the additional step of: evacuating the dielectric gel from the region bridging the erosion electrode and the article.

13. A computer program that, when read by a computer, causes performance of the method as claimed in claim 8.

14. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising computer readable instructions that, when read by a computer, causes performance of the method as claimed in claim 8.

15. A signal comprising computer readable instructions that, when read by a computer, causes performance of the method as claimed in claim 8.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0059] There now follows a description of an embodiment of the disclosure, by way of non-limiting example, with reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0060] FIG. 1 shows a schematic arrangement of an EDM apparatus comprising a dielectric gel according to a first embodiment of the disclosure;

[0061] FIG. 2 shows a view of the arrangement of FIG. 1 after the EDM process has commenced;

[0062] FIG. 3 shows a view of the arrangement of FIG. 1 with the dielectric gel being removed;

[0063] FIG. 4 shows a schematic part sectional view of an erosion electrode according to a second embodiment of the disclosure; and

[0064] FIG. 5 shows a schematic part sectional view of an erosion electrode according to a third embodiment of the disclosure.

[0065] It is noted that the drawings may not be to scale. The drawings are intended to depict only typical aspects of the disclosure, and therefore should not be considered as limiting the scope of the disclosure. In the drawings, like numbering represents like elements between the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0066] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an EDM apparatus according to a first embodiment of the disclosure is designated generally by the reference numeral 100.

[0067] The EDM apparatus 100 comprises an erosion electrode 110, a housing 120, a ground electrode 130, and an erosion electrode advancing mechanism 140.

[0068] The housing 120 can be positioned against an article 150 to be eroded. Alternatively, the housing 120 may be located against some external fixture (not shown). The article 150 may be an assembly of components, or may be a single component. The article 150 may be a fastener that forms part of the assembly of components.

[0069] The ground electrode 130 is conductively connected to the article 150. The ground electrode 130 completes an electrical connection back to the erosion electrode 110.

[0070] The dielectric gel 160 is provided in a quantity sufficient to bridge the region between the erosion electrode 110 and the article 150. The dielectric gel 160 can be applied to the article 150 either before or after the erosion electrode 110 is positioned proximal to the article 150.

[0071] In operation, the motion of the erosion electrode 110 relative to the article 150 is that of a conventional electro-discharge machining operation. An electric voltage in the form of a high frequency pulsed waveform is applied between the erosion electrode 110 and the article 150. The erosion electrode 110 is positioned against the article 150 with a small gap therebetween, which causes a spark to form in the gap. The details of this EDM operation are well known and will not be described further herein.

[0072] The EDM process results in eroded particles 154 from the article 150 together with erosion debris 112 from the erosion electrode 110. These eroded particles 154 and erosion debris 112 are ejected from the region between the erosion electrode 110 and the article 150. As these particles are ejected they are trapped in the dielectric gel 160, as illustrated in FIG. 3.

[0073] As mentioned earlier, the electro-discharge machining process of the EDM device is conventional and includes an electro-deposition pulse controller that provides the pulsed voltage waveform to the erosion electrode 110. Control of the electro-deposition process and the EDM device 100 is achieved by a system controller. In one arrangement, the system controller takes the form of a computer 180 having a computer readable storage medium 184. The storage medium 184 comprises in turn a computer program 182, and computer readable instructions 186 that, when read by the computer 180 cause operation of the EDM device 100.

[0074] Referring to FIG. 4, an erosion electrode 210 according to a second embodiment of the disclosure has the dielectric gel 160 applied in a coating to the external diametral surface 216 of the electrode 210. The dielectric gel 160 is applied in a thickness sufficient to ensure that the volume of dielectric gel 160 can completely bridge the region between the erosion electrode 110 and the article 150.

[0075] FIG. 5 illustrates an erosion electrode 310 according to a third embodiment of the disclosure. The erosion electrode 310 has a hollow cross-section. In this arrangement, the dielectric gel 160 is accommodated in the hollow interior 314 of the erosion electrode 310.

[0076] In the examples of FIGS. 4 and 5, the erosion electrode 210,310 is shown as being hollow in cross-section. However, in alternative arrangements, the erosion electrode 210,310 may equally have a solid cross-section.

[0077] In one or more examples, the operations described may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software, the operations may be stored on or transmitted over, as one or more instructions or code, a computer-readable medium and executed by a hardware-based processing unit. Computer-readable media may include computer-readable storage media, which corresponds to a tangible medium such as data storage media, or communication media including any medium that facilitates transfer of a computer program from one place to another, e.g., according to a communication protocol. In this manner, computer-readable media generally may correspond to (1) tangible computer-readable storage media, which is non-transitory or (2) a communication medium such as a signal or carrier wave. Data storage media may be any available media that can be accessed by one or more computers or one or more processors to retrieve instructions, code and/or data structures for implementation of the techniques described in this disclosure. A computer program product may include a computer-readable medium.

[0078] By way of example, and not limitation, such computer-readable storage media can comprise RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage, or other magnetic storage devices, flash memory, or any other medium that can be used to store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer. Also, any connection is properly termed a computer-readable medium. For example, if instructions are transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using a coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave, then the coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave are included in the definition of medium. It should be understood, however, that computer-readable storage media and data storage media do not include connections, carrier waves, signals, or other transient media, but are instead directed to non-transient, tangible storage media. Disk and disc, as used herein, includes compact disc (CD), laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc (DVD), floppy disk and Blu-ray disc, where disks usually reproduce data magnetically, while discs reproduce data optically with lasers. Combinations of the above should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

[0079] Instructions may be executed by one or more processors, such as one or more DSPs, general purpose microprocessors, ASICs, FPGAs, or other equivalent integrated or discrete logic circuitry. Accordingly, the term “processor,” as used herein may refer to any of the foregoing structure or any other structure suitable for implementation of the techniques described herein. In addition, in some aspects, the functionality described herein may be provided within dedicated hardware and/or software modules. Also, the techniques could be fully implemented in one or more circuits or logic elements.

[0080] The invention includes methods that may be performed using the subject devices. The methods may comprise the act of providing such a suitable device. Such provision may be performed by the end user. In other words, the “providing” act merely requires the end user obtain, access, approach, position, set-up, activate, power-up or otherwise act to provide the requisite device in the subject method. Methods recited herein may be carried out in any order of the recited events which is logically possible, as well as in the recited order of events.

[0081] The foregoing description of various aspects of the disclosure has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise form disclosed, and obviously, many modifications and variations are possible. Such modifications and variations that may be apparent to a person of skill in the art are included within the scope of the disclosure as defined by the accompanying claims.

[0082] To aid the Patent Office and any readers of any patent issued on this application in interpreting the claims appended hereto, applicants wish to note that they do not intend any of the appended claims or claim elements to invoke 35 U.S.C. 112(f) unless the words “means for” or “step for” are explicitly used in the particular claim.