2-D axisymmetric simulation of the electrochemical machining of internal precision geometries

At the Technische Universität Chemnitz several academic institutions work on aluminium matrix composites (AMCs) within the Collaborative Research Centre SFB 692 HALS. The developed and examined AMCs consist for example of the alloy EN AW 2017 as matrix material, reinforced by SiC particles. Besides the development and analysis of these materials one main task is finishing machining of AMCs by an electrochemical machining (ECM) process. One possible method of ECM is electrochemical machining with continuous electrolytic free jet (Jet-ECM) [1]. Within this study a 2-D axisymmetric model was developed which is representing the Jet-ECM of a SiC reinforced aluminium matrix. Corresponding to literature [2, 3], the size of the particle was derived from SEM-images [4, 5]. The geometry of the investigated unit cell was calculated from the composition of the AMC and the evaluated particle size. Using the interface primary current distribution in the field of electrochemistry with its predefined combination with deformed geometry material dissolution of particle reinforced AMC is investigated. The multiphysics simulation leads to a better understanding of the dissolution characteristics. It can be observed that in consequence of a local maximum of the current density in the area of the particle surface a higher material dissolution occurs.