{"title":"Feasibility of 3D-printed polymeric covers for electrode wires in electropolishing of additively manufactured parts with internal channels","authors":"Manyou Sun, Ali Mohammadnejad, Ehsan Toyserkani","doi":"10.1016/j.addma.2025.104824","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This work discloses the preliminary results of a feasibility study of a novel setup and procedure for electropolishing internal channels of additively manufactured components. A specially designed and printed polymeric cover was assembled with a flexible stainless steel 316 wire to facilitate electropolishing of internal channels with various curvatures. A numerical simulation was conducted for optimization of wire cover designs, and the performance of three designs were analyzed and compared. Following that, experimental studies were conducted to assess the feasibility of the process. The presence of curvatures was found to influence the formation and removal of conductive solid reaction products, thus affecting the electropolishing performance accordingly. A maximum surface roughness <em>Sa</em> reduction from 10.86 ± 0.50 μm to 1.44 ± 0.46 μm was obtained for straight channels after electropolishing for 20 min, while less efficient surface smoothening performance was observed on curved channels. While challenges need to be solved for improving the electropolishing performance and reducing the limit of the channel size that can be electropolished, the methods show significant potential on electropolishing curved internal channels, which can be further used in industrial-scale applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7172,"journal":{"name":"Additive manufacturing","volume":"107 ","pages":"Article 104824"},"PeriodicalIF":10.3000,"publicationDate":"2025-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Additive manufacturing","FirstCategoryId":"5","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214860425001885","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"ENGINEERING, MANUFACTURING","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
This work discloses the preliminary results of a feasibility study of a novel setup and procedure for electropolishing internal channels of additively manufactured components. A specially designed and printed polymeric cover was assembled with a flexible stainless steel 316 wire to facilitate electropolishing of internal channels with various curvatures. A numerical simulation was conducted for optimization of wire cover designs, and the performance of three designs were analyzed and compared. Following that, experimental studies were conducted to assess the feasibility of the process. The presence of curvatures was found to influence the formation and removal of conductive solid reaction products, thus affecting the electropolishing performance accordingly. A maximum surface roughness Sa reduction from 10.86 ± 0.50 μm to 1.44 ± 0.46 μm was obtained for straight channels after electropolishing for 20 min, while less efficient surface smoothening performance was observed on curved channels. While challenges need to be solved for improving the electropolishing performance and reducing the limit of the channel size that can be electropolished, the methods show significant potential on electropolishing curved internal channels, which can be further used in industrial-scale applications.
期刊介绍:
Additive Manufacturing stands as a peer-reviewed journal dedicated to delivering high-quality research papers and reviews in the field of additive manufacturing, serving both academia and industry leaders. The journal's objective is to recognize the innovative essence of additive manufacturing and its diverse applications, providing a comprehensive overview of current developments and future prospects.
The transformative potential of additive manufacturing technologies in product design and manufacturing is poised to disrupt traditional approaches. In response to this paradigm shift, a distinctive and comprehensive publication outlet was essential. Additive Manufacturing fulfills this need, offering a platform for engineers, materials scientists, and practitioners across academia and various industries to document and share innovations in these evolving technologies.