Large allowance electrochemical turning of revolving parts using a universal cylindrical electrode

There are many large-scale revolving parts in aerospace engines, which usually require relatively large machining allowances to ensure production of the necessary shapes and sizes. Efficient removal of the machining allowances from such large-scale revolving parts, especially for hard-to-cut materials, represents a challenge for traditional mechanical processing. In this research, electrochemical turning with a universal cylindrical electrode is proposed as an efficient method to remove the large machining allowance of revolving parts. Lateral flow and internal flow patterns are exploited to ensure timely removal of electrolysis products and Joule heat. The electric field distribution shows that the current in the machining area increases significantly for the method. The flow field distribution shows that a more uniform flow velocity distribution can be obtained using an internal flow pattern. Experiments were performed to verify the proposed method. The results show that the internal flow pattern allows for faster feed rates and more stable processing, and the material removal rate may be improved significantly through use of an optimized flow pattern, especially for work-pieces with a large machining allowance. To demonstrate application, three differently shaped revolving structures were machined successfully with a radial removal allowance of 10 mm.