Electrochemical cutting with flexible electrode of controlled online deformation

Abstract Improvements in aero-engine performance have made the structures of the aero-engine components increasingly complex. To better adapt to the processing requirements of narrow twisted channels such as an integral shrouded blisk, this study proposes an innovative method of electrochemical cutting in which a flexible tube electrode is controlled by online deformation during processing. In this study, the processing principle of electrochemical cutting with a flexible electrode for controlled online deformation (FECC) was revealed for the first time. The online deformation process of flexible electrodes and the machining process of profiles were analysed in depth, and the corresponding theoretical models were established. Conventional electrochemical machining (ECM) is a multi-physical field-coupled process involving electric and flow fields. In FECC, classical mechanics are introduced into the tool cathode, which must be loaded at all times during the machining process. Therefore, in this study, before and after the deformation of the flexible electrode, a corresponding simulation study was conducted to understand the influence of the online deformation of the flexible electrode on the flow and electric fields. The feasibility of flexible electrodes for online deformation and the validity of the theoretical model were verified by deformation measurements and in situ observation experiments. Finally, the method was successfully applied to the machining of nickel-based high-temperature alloys, and different specifications of flexible electrodes were used to complete the machining of the corresponding complex profiles, thereby verifying the feasibility and versatility of the method. The method proposed in this study breaks the tradition of using a non-deformable cathode for ECM and adopts a flexible electrode that can be deformed during the machining process as the tool cathode, which improves machining flexibility and provides a valuable reference to promote the ECM of complex profiles.