Research on the Machining Performance of SiC/Al Composites Utilizing the BEAM Process

Author(s):  
Jipeng Chen ◽  
Lin Gu ◽  
Hui Xu ◽  
Wansheng Zhao

The Blasting Erosion Arc Machining (BEAM) process was applied to improve the machining efficiency of SiC/Al composites. A set of experiments were conducted on 20 vol% SiC/Al composites to find out the relationship between the parameters and machining performance. Results revealed that when the peak current was 500 A, the material removal rate (MRR) could be greater than 8,200 mm3/min and the tool wear ratio (TWR) was about 2%. Besides, the influence of polarity on the surface properties was also studied by using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and metalloscope. It disclosed that machining with a large peak current and a negative BEAM is suitable for bulk mass material removal, while the surface quality could be improved by applying the positive BEAM. Finally, a machined sample demonstrated the fesibility of BEAM for the machining of SiC/Al materials.

Author(s):  
Jipeng Chen ◽  
Lin Gu ◽  
Yingmou Zhu ◽  
Wansheng Zhao

Blasting erosion arc machining (BEAM) is adopted to improve the machining efficiency of high fraction (50 vol.%) SiC/Al matrix composites. Results of the fractional factorial experiments and full factorial experiments indicate that the electrical parameters (peak current, pulse duration and pulse interval) are the main impact factors of the machining efficiency, and when the peak current is 500 A, the pulse duration is 8 ms and the pulse interval is 2 ms, the material removal rate reaches to 6000 [Formula: see text]/min. Furthermore, the material removal rate was optimized and could be as high as 7500 [Formula: see text]/min with the tool wear ratio about 10%. Simulation of the single discharge heat transfer illustrates that the SiC particles have negative influence on the machining performance due to their temperature dependent characteristics. The polarity effect was also studied and it is disclosed that different machining polarities have different influences on the machining performance, surface integrity and even the formation of SiC particles. Finally, a 50 vol.% SiC/Al workpiece was machined with blasting erosion arc machining.


2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jipeng Chen ◽  
Lin Gu ◽  
Wansheng Zhao

Machining performance of high fraction SiC/Al matrix composites (e.g., 50 vol% SiC/Al) is very limited because of their reinforced SiC particles. In order to study the machinability of high fraction SiC/Al matrix composites with blasting erosion arc machining (BEAM), factorial experiment was employed under the negative electrode machining condition. It was found that when peak current was 500 A, MRR (material removal rate) could be as high as 6,000 mm3/min. Besides, surface integrity under different machining parameters was also investigated. Finally, a 50 vol% SiC/Al composites workpiece was successfully machined with BEAM, which demonstrated that BEAM is capable for the machining of high fraction SiC/Al matrix composites.


Author(s):  
Sundar Marimuthu ◽  
Bethan Smith

This manuscript discusses the experimental results on 300 W picosecond laser machining of aerospace-grade nickel superalloy. The effect of the laser’s energetic and beam scanning parameters on the machining performance has been studied in detail. The machining performance has been investigated in terms of surface roughness, sub-surface thermal damage, and material removal rate. At optimal process conditions, a picosecond laser with an average power output of 300 W can be used to achieve a material removal rate (MRR) of ∼140 mm3/min, with thermal damage less than 20 µm. Shorter laser pulse widths increase the material removal rate and reduce the resultant surface roughness. High scanning speeds improve the picosecond laser machining performance. Edge wall taper of ∼10° was observed over all the picosecond laser machined slots. The investigation demonstrates that high-power picosecond lasers can be used for the macro-machining of industrial components at an acceptable speed and quality.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhigang Wang

The water guided laser micro-jet (LMJ) is a new potential method to machine aero engine parts with much less heat affected area and faster cutting speed than dry laser machining. The focus of this paper is to investigate the energy density and material removal for a dual-laser LMJ system. Then, the effects of dominated parameters on the energy density of LMJ are analyzed. Finally, a mathematical model is developed to describe the relationship between dominant laser parameters with the energy density of LMJ and material removal rate followed by machining case studies of aero engine components.


Materials ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hao Zhu ◽  
Zhaoyang Zhang ◽  
Kun Xu ◽  
Jinlei Xu ◽  
Shuaijie Zhu ◽  
...  

The fabrication of micro-holes in silicon substrates that have a proper taper, higher depth-to-diameter ratio, and better surface quality has been attracting intense interest for a long time due to its importance in the semiconductor and MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical System) industry. In this paper, an experimental investigation of the machining performance of the direct and chemical-assisted picosecond laser trepanning of single crystalline silicon is conducted, with a view to assess the two machining methods. The relevant parameters affecting the trepanning process are considered, employing the orthogonal experimental design scheme. It is found that the direct laser trepanning results are associated with evident thermal defects, while the chemical-assisted method is capable of machining micro-holes with negligible thermal damage. Range analysis is then carried out, and the effects of the processing parameters on the hole characteristics are amply discussed to obtain the recommended parameters. Finally, the material removal mechanisms that are involved in the two machining methods are adequately analyzed. For the chemical-assisted trepanning case, the enhanced material removal rate may be attributed to the serious mechanical effects caused by the liquid-confined plasma and cavitation bubbles, and the chemical etching effect provided by NaOH solution.


2015 ◽  
Vol 656-657 ◽  
pp. 335-340 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fang Pin Chuang ◽  
Yan Cherng Lin ◽  
Hsin Min Lee ◽  
Han Ming Chow ◽  
A. Cheng Wang

The environment issue and green machining technique have been induced intensive attention in recent years. It is urgently need to develop a new kind dielectric to meet the requirements for industrial applications. The aim of this study is to develop a novel dielectric using gas media immersed in deionized water for electrical discharge machining (EDM). The developed machining medium for EDM can fulfill the environmentally friendly issue and satisfy the demand of high machining performance. The experiments were conducted by this developed medium to investigate the effects of machining parameters on machining characteristics in terms of material removal rate (MRR) and surface roughness. The developed EDM medium revealed the potential to obtain a stabilizing progress with excellent machining performance and environmentally friendly feature.


2007 ◽  
Vol 329 ◽  
pp. 69-74
Author(s):  
H. Cheng ◽  
H.Y. Tam ◽  
Y. Gao ◽  
Yong Bo Wu ◽  
Y. Wang

This paper proposes a sub-aperture grinding tool for loose abrasive computer controlled surfacing, which is designed to perform epicyclic motion and rotate around its centre at a rapid rate, whilst the entire mechanism revolves around a secondary centre at a slower rate. In actual process, the wear of the tool could affect the material removal function, and make the process unstable, thus in fact, it is difficult to make a deterministic manufacturing. The focus of the present paper is on wearing characteristics of sub-aperture tools and the wear evenness as the main objectives. To make a further study, material removal function of the tool is firstly established through theoretically modelling, next, a correlative function with weighted factors is built, which is suitable for specifying the wearing degree of the tool. Finally, to discover the relationship between the material removal rate and the tool wearing characteristics, and to optimize the grinding process, analysis and experiments are then carried out on a K9 glass specimen by means of three kinds of tool materials, i.e., polyurethane pad, aluminum plate and pitch based on the proposed technique and model. The results indicated that the required high efficiency and precision could be achieved by choosing proper processes.


Materials ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lei Guo ◽  
Xinrong Zhang ◽  
Shibin Chen ◽  
Jizhuang Hui

Ultraviolet-curable resin was introduced as a bonding agent into the fabrication process of precision abrasive machining tools in this study, aiming to deliver a rapid, flexible, economical, and environment-friendly additive manufacturing process to replace the hot press and sintering process with thermal-curable resin. A laboratory manufacturing process was established to develop an ultraviolet-curable resin bond diamond lapping plate, the machining performance of which on the ceramic workpiece was examined through a series of comparative experiments with slurry-based iron plate lapping. The machined surface roughness and weight loss of the workpieces were periodically recorded to evaluate the surface finish quality and the material removal rate. The promising results in terms of a 12% improvement in surface roughness and 25% reduction in material removal rate were obtained from the ultraviolet-curable resin plate-involved lapping process. A summarized hypothesis was drawn to describe the dynamically-balanced state of the hybrid precision abrasive machining process integrated both the two-body and three-body abrasion mode.


2005 ◽  
Vol 127 (1) ◽  
pp. 217-226 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. J. Stango ◽  
V. Cariapa ◽  
M. Zuzanski

Filamentary brushing tools are used in a wide range of surface finishing processes, such as deburring, edge radiusing, polishing, and surface decontamination applications. Moreover, these tools are easily adapted to automation because the filament tips, which perform the machining operation, readily conform to the workpart surface without the need for sophisticated control systems technology. However, little is known about the material removal mechanics of filamentary brushes and, therefore, trial-and-error experimentation is often necessary before the tool is implemented in a production environment. This uncertainty of performance can be traced to a lack of understanding of the actual forces that are generated within the contact zone, that is, along the interface of the filament tip and workpart surface. Although previous experimental research has focused on the overall (i.e., resultant) brush force exerted onto the workpart, no information exists in the literature regarding the variation of force within the contact zone. Such information is essential for understanding the material removal profile within the contact zone, and could provide valuable information regarding the most active machining site along the contact surface. In this paper, a novel experiment is proposed for evaluating the force profile of filament tip forces that are generated within the contact region of a brushed surface. A specially designed workpart fixture is constructed and used in conjunction with a multiaxis force sensor for measuring the detailed force variation within the contact zone. The experiment is conducted using a wire brush at several different rotational speeds, which enables one to ascertain the role of filament inertia in the material removal process. Findings are reported which suggest that a significantly enhanced material removal rate can be achieved at a selective location within the contact zone at moderately elevated spindle speeds.


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