ELECTRODE AND ELECTROCHEMICAL MACHINING PROCESS FOR FORMING NON-CIRCULAR HOLES

• Main Authors: BRUCE KEVIN LEON, WEI BIN
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 26.12.2013
• Subjects: MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; SUCH WORKING COMBINED WITH OTHER FORMS OF WORKING OF METAL; TRANSPORTING; WORKING OF METAL BY THE ACTION OF A HIGH CONCENTRATION OFELECTRIC CURRENT ON A WORKPIECE USING AN ELECTRODE WHICH TAKESTHE PLACE OF A TOOL

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electrode for an electrochemical machining process.SOLUTION: An electrode 10 includes an electrically conductive member 12 defining at least one passage and an insulating coating 16 partially covering a side surface of the electrically conductive member 12. The insulating coating 16 does not cover at least one of first and second exposed sections of the electrically conductive member 12, where the first and second exposed sections 18, 19 are separated by approximately 180 degrees and extend substantially along a longitudinal axis of the electrically conductive member 12. The insulating coating 16 also does not cover an exposed front end 20 of the electrically conductive member 12. An electrochemical machining method is also provided, for forming a non-circular hole in a workpiece using the electrode 10.