Patent ID: 9676045
Date: 2017-06-13
CPC Classifications: B23H

Claim:
1. An electrochemical machining (ECM) apparatus for machining an electrically-conductive workpiece, comprising: an electrode; an electrode translation device configured to locate the electrode relative to an electrically-conductive workpiece to be machined; an electrode controller configured to control the electrode translation device to oscillate the electrode between a first distance from the electrically-conductive workpiece and a gap distance from the electrically-conductive workpiece and to maintain a gap between the electrode and the electrically-conductive workpiece when the electrode is located at the gap distance from the electrically-conductive workpiece; a circulator system configured to circulate an electrolyte into the gap between the electrode and the electrically-conductive workpiece; a controllable power supply electrically connected to an electrically-conductive workpiece and the electrode, the controllable power supply configured to supply a power pulse to the electrically-conductive workpiece and the electrode when the electrode is disposed at the gap distance from the electrically-conductive workpiece; and a resistive feedback loop that is configured to sense a resistance of the electrically-conductive workpiece and communicate the resistance of the electrically-conductive workpiece to the electrode controller, wherein the electrode controller is configured to adjust the oscillation of the electrode based upon the resistance of the electrically-conductive workpiece in order to maintain the gap distance as material is removed from the electrically-conductive workpiece, wherein the electrode includes an electrically-conductive body and a plurality of electrically-conductive pins extending from the body, each of the pins including a first end adjacent to the body and a second end that is spaced apart from the body, the second ends of each of the pins are spaced apart from each other, the second ends of the pins form a distal end of the electrode that defines the gap distance, wherein an outer periphery of the first end of one of the pins includes a tapered cross-sectional shape so that the second end has a second width that is different than a first width of the first end, each of the pins includes a shaft portion extending between the tapered cross-sectional shape and the second end, the shaft portion having a smaller width than the tapered cross-sectional shape, the pins are configured to remove material from the workpiece such that each pin forms a slot in the workpiece.