Patent ID: 6416650
Filing Date: 2002-07-09
Classification: C25F

Abstract:
An apparatus adapted for electrochemical polishing a workpiece, the workpiece being continuously processed by a shaping machine, the apparatus comprising:a device for supplying an electrolytic solution to polish the workpiece, the device including: a first tank having a periphery and being adapted for containing the electrolytic solution; a pump disposed within the periphery of the first tank and being adapted for pumping the electrolytic solution from the first tank to produce a pumped electrolytic solution; a filter fluidly coupled with the pump and being adapted for filtering the pumped electrolytic solution to produce a filtered electrolytic solution; a tube fluidly coupled with the filter for conducting the filtered electrolytic solution; a nozzle fluidly coupled with the tube and being adapted for spraying the filtered electrolytic solution to produce a sprayed electrolytic solution; a second tank disposed within the first periphery of the first tank and being adapted for collecting the sprayed electrolytic solution; and a drain valve fluidly coupled with the second tank and being adapted for regulating the volume of the sprayed electrolytic solution in the second tank by allowing the sprayed electrolytic solution to flow back to the first tank such that the height of the sprayed electrolytic solution inside the second tank is higher than the height of the workpiece; a feeding mechanism for supporting the workpiece and for feeding the workpiece into the device; a tool electrode having an inner portion and an outer portion and being electrically coupled to the device, the tool electrode being receptive to the workpiece from the feeding mechanism and defining a gap between the workpiece and the inner portion of the tool electrode so that electrolytic byproducts produced during the electrochemical polishing are removed when the nozzle of the device sprays the filtered electrolytic solution into the gap; and a DC power supply having a negative pole and a positive pole, the negative pole being connected with the tool electrode and the positive pole being connected with the workpiece.