Surface forming features of new combined wire electrical discharge-electrochemical machining technology

Abstract

There are presented the results of the complex studies of the structure and microgeometry of the surface layers formed on a wide spectrum of regimes of electrical discharge cutting and sequential electrochemical machining (ECM) with the same wire electrode. The studies were conducted on tool steel, medium carbon steel and technically pure iron ARMCO. It was clearly established the presence of the heat affected zone (HAZ) when using wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM) on pure technical iron ARMCO. It is shown the possibility of using a sequential WEDM and ECM with the same wire electrode to controllably and almost completely eliminate the HAZ. The established regularities broaden the idea of the surface formation mechanisms and substantiate the proposed schemes of surface formation using the newest combined technology. The obtained data correlate well with the known results of research in the field of electrophysical and electrochemical methods of materials processing.