Experimental investigation on machining characteristics of difficult-to-machine materials with Electrochemical Mechanical Polishing

Difficult-to-machine materials, like titanium alloy, have many advantages such as high hardness and strength. On the other hand, these advantages become obstacle because of the tool wear in the case of mechanical machining, such as cutting and grinding. ECM is effective method for hard materials. However, such as titanium, passivity occurs and machining stops immediately. Electrochemical mechanical polishing (ECMP) is effective for materials that easily become passivated. In this paper, the machining characteristics of difficult-to-machine materials with ECMP are investigated.