Analytical and Experimental Study of Electrochemical Micromilling

Electrochemical micromachining (ECMM) is a non-conventional manufacturing method suitable for the production of microsized components on a wide range of conductive materials. ECMM improves dimensional accuracy and simplifies tool design for machining hard, high strength, heat resistant, and conductive materials into complex shapes. Extremely small interelectrode gaps of the order of few microns are required in ECMM for better dimensional accuracy. However, excessively small interelectrode gaps may lead to complications, such as short-circuiting, which disrupt the stability of ECMM process. This necessitates the need for better understanding of the interelectrode gap dynamics. This paper presents a mathematical model for the analysis of interelectrode gap under non-steady state conditions in micromilling of steel using the ECMM process. Experimental verification of the mathematical model was conducted using an in-house built micro electrochemical machining system. The model is capable of predicting the machining results to within 15 μm error (1050%). Analytical and Experimental Study of Electrochemical Micromilling