Numerical simulation and experimental study on micromilling-assisted electrochemical machining

Abstract

This study proposes a micromilling-assisted electrochemical machining method to obtain high-quality surfaces on a titanium alloy (Ti6Al4V). This method replaces the traditional mixed electrolyte composed of NaCl and NaNO₃ with a highly replication-accurate NaNO₃ electrolyte. The passive film on the titanium alloy surface was alternately removed by the cutting action of the micromilling cutters, ensuring smooth progress in electrochemical machining. A theoretical model of the cross-sectional profile of Ti6Al4V micromilling-assisted electrochemical machining was established, and dynamic numerical simulations and process experiments were conducted. The effects of machining voltage, feed speed, and spindle speed on the current density and machining depth were investigated. The results indicated that the machining depth increased with machining voltage and decreased with higher feed and spindle speeds. At a feed speed of 3 mm/min, processing voltage of 24 V, and spindle speed of 2000 r/min, the surface quality of the titanium alloy Ti6Al4V was high, achieving a surface roughness of 1.785 μm. The experimental cross-sectional profile of the composite processing depth aligned well with theoretical predictions.