Surface finishing achieved by ECM with a moving wire electrode

Abstract

It is known that good surface roughness can be achieved by ECM with a high current density. However, when the tool electrode moves across the surface of the workpiece the low current density area which follows the high current density area roughens the surface. Attempts to suppress the effect of the low current density area by utilizing pulse currents to obtain a glossy surface were made. This paper reports the experimental results of ECM with a moving wire electrode on an EDMed surface to investigate the effect of various conditions on the machined surface.