Research in Tool Shape Optimization for Electrochemical Machining

The ability to accurately machine nickel-based alloys and other hard materials is critical to the manufacture of Army weapons such as mortar tubes, and electrochemical machining (ECM) is often the best, or only, option. The primary drawback of ECM is designing ECM tools. Tool design is extremely complex because the shape of the machined workpiece depends on tool shape, electrolyte and material electrochemistry, electrolyte flow rate and temperature, tool potential, traverse rate, tool-workpiece separation and current density. This program will develop and validate an ECM tool design methodology based on a COTS multi-physics software, Star CCM+, which is also available on the DOD HPC platform. The tool design methodology will be validated, and then demonstrated for the design of tools for several important processes: Die sinking (including integral muzzle breaks), electrochemical turning of thin-walled mortar tubes, traveling electrode machining of rifling and mortar blast channels. These tools will be designed, manufactured, and then tested in a commercial ECM machine shop by machining sections of full-scale components. The test sections will be evaluated for machining accuracy and surface finish. The Army will be provided with the CAD models, CCM+ models, and tool performance evaluations.