An Investigation into Accumulative Difference Mechanism in Time and Space for Material Removal in Micro-EDM Milling

In micro-electrical discharge machining (micro-EDM) milling, the cross-section of the microgroove machine is frequently not an ideal rectangle. For instance, there are arc shapes on the bottom and corners, and the sidewall is not steep. The theoretical explanation for this phenomenon is still lacking. In addition to the tip discharge effect, the essential reason is that there is an accumulative difference in time and space during the shape change process of a tool electrode and the microstructure formation on a workpiece. The process parameters are critical influencing factors that determine this accumulative difference. Therefore, the accumulative difference mechanism in time and space is investigated in this paper, and then a theoretical model is developed to simulate the micro-EDM milling process with a straight-line single path. The simulation results for a cylindrical electrode at the two rotational speeds of 0 (nonrotating) and 300 rpm are compared, while the results for a cylindrical electrode and a square electrode at a rotation speed of 0 are also compared to verify that different process parameters generate accumulative differences in the time and space of material removal. Finally, micro-EDM milling experiments are carried out to verify the simulation model. The maximum mean relative deviation between the microgroove profiles of simulation results and those of experiments is 11.09%, and the profile shapes of simulations and experiments have a good consistency. A comparative experiment between a cylindrical electrode and a hollow electrode is also performed, which further verifies the mechanism revealed in the study. Furthermore, the cross-section profile of a microgroove can be effectively controlled by adjusting the process parameters when utilising these accumulative differences through fabricating a microgroove with a V-shaped cross-section by a square electrode and a microgroove with a semi-circular cross-section by a cylindrical electrode. This research provides theoretical guidance for solving the problems of the machining accuracy of detail features in micro-EDM milling, for instance, to machine a microgroove with an ideal rectangular cross-section.

Selected Aspects of Electrochemical Micromachining Technology Development

The paper focuses on the fundamentals of electrochemical machining technology de-elopement with special attention to applications for micromachining. In this method, a material is removed during an anodic electrochemical dissolution. The method has a number of features which make it attractive technology for shaping parts with geometrical features in range of micrometres. The paper is divided into two parts. The first one covers discussion on: general characteristics of electrochemical machining, phenomena in the gap, problems resulting from scaling down the process and electrochemical micromachining processes and variants. The second part consists of synthetic overview of the authors’ research on localization of pulse electrochemical micromachining process and case studies connected with application of this method with use of universal cylindrical electrode-tool for shaping cavities in 1.4301 stainless steel. The latter application was conducted in two following variants: electrochemical contour milling and shaping carried out with sidewall surface of rotating tool. In both cases, the obtained shape is a function of electrode tool trajectory. Selection of adequate machining strategy allows to obtain desired shape and quality.

Application of Convolution with Periodic Boundary Condition for Processing Data from Cylindrical Electrode Arrays

In this paper, modification of convolutional neural networks for purposes of processing electromyographic data obtained from cylindrical arrays of electrodes was proposed. Taking into account the spatial symmetry of the array, convolution operation was redefined using periodic boundary conditions, which allowed to construct a neural network that is invariant to rotations of electrodes array around its axis. Applicability of the proposed approach was evaluated by constructing a neural network containing a new type of convolutional layer and training it on the open UC2018 DualMyo dataset in order to classify gestures basing on data from a single myobracelet. The network based on the new type of convolution performed better compared to common convolutions when trained on data without augmentation, which indicates that such a network is invari­able to cyclic shifts in the input data. Neural networks with modified convolutional layers and common convolutional layers achieved f-1 scores of 0.96 and 0.65 respectively with no augmentation for input data and f-1 scores of 0.98 and 0.96 in case when train-time augmentation was applied. Test data was augmented in both cases. Potentially, proposed convolution can be applied in processing any data with the same connectivity in such a way that allows to adapt time-tested architectural solutions for networks by replacing common convolutions with modified ones.

Improving Machining Performance for Deep Hole Drilling in the Electrical Discharge Machining Process Using a Step Cylindrical Electrode

The performance of electrical discharge machining for drilling holes decreases with machining depth because the conventional flushing and electrode cannot completely eliminate debris particles from the machining area. In this study, a modified electrode for self-flushing in the electrical discharge machining process with a step cylindrical shape was designed to improve machining performance for deep hole drilling. The experimental results of the step cylindrical electrode showed that the material removal rate increased by approximately 215.7%, 203.8%, and 130.4%, and the electrode wear ratio decreased by approximately 47.2%, 63.1%, and 37.3%, when compared with a conventional electrode for the diameters of 6, 9, and 12 mm, respectively. In addition, the gap clearance and concavity of the side wall of the drilled hole was reduced with the step cylindrical electrode. The limited high flank of the electrode led to an increase in the escape area of the debris that was partially removed from the machining area, and the limited secondary spark on the side wall of the electrode resulted in a reduction in machining time.

Theoretical and experimental studies on the fabrication of cylindrical-electrode-assisted solution blowing spinning nanofibers

Cylindrical-electrode-assisted solution blowing spinning (CSBS) is a novel technique of fabricating nanofibers. In this paper, a combination of numerical simulation, theoretical analysis, and experiment is used to study the influences of CSBS airflow field and electric field on the fabrication of CSBS nanofibers for the first time. The effects of air pressure and injection speed on the morphology of CSBS fiber are studied. The research results show that the increase in air pressure will increase the centerline velocity and the centerline turbulence intensity within the effective stretching distance of the airflow. The increase in centerline velocity will result in a decrease in the diameter of CSBS fibers. There is a negative correlation between jet diameter and surface charge density of CSBS jet. The increase in air pressure will increase the stretching of the jet by the air flow, which will make the jet more likely to become thinner again because of the charge repulsion. Increasing air pressure will reduce the porosity of the nonwoven. As the injection speed increases, the diameter of CSBS fiber increases, and the porosity of the nonwoven decreases first and then increases. This work provides theoretical and experimental bases for the controllable preparation of CSBS nanofibers.

The Effect of Electric Field on Nanofibers Preparation in Cylindrical-Electrode-Assisted Solution Blowing Spinning

Cylindrical-electrode-assisted solution blowing spinning (CSBS) is a novel nanofiber preparation method. The electric field of CSBS not only is one of the main innovations of this technology but also plays a key role in the preparation of nanofibers. In this article, the electric field of CSBS and the influences of electric field on the preparation of nanofibers were studied systematically for the first time by simulations, theoretical analyses, and experiments. This paper innovatively established the coaxial capacitor model for studying the CSBS electric field. The effects of electric field on the preparation and morphology of CSBS nanofibers were theoretically investigated by using this model. The theoretical formulas that can express the relationships between the various electric field variables were obtained. The electric field strength distribution, voltage distribution, and the relationships between the electric field parameters of CSBS were obtained by finite element simulations. The simulations’ results show that reducing the diameter of cylinder (DC) or increasing the voltage increase the electric field strength of the jet surface. Experimental results reveal that increasing voltage or reducing DC can reduce the diameter of nanofibers. The experimental and simulation results prove the correctness of the theoretical research conclusions. The theoretical and simulation conclusions of this paper lay a theoretical foundation for further study of CSBS electric field. The experimental conclusions can directly guide the controllable preparation of CSBS nanofibers.