Patent ID: 12240050

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG.1ashows a schematic representation of an exemplary apparatus10according to the invention for machining components by electrochemical machining. The apparatus has a machining station5, in which a component3to be machined can be rigidly held and four tools in the form of electrodes8that are arranged uniformly distributed, by way of example, on the component3, the electrodes being able to move with respect to a component3held in the machining station5. The component3held in the machining station5is formed disk-shaped, so that the component axis A runs in the direction of the short extension of the component3. At the left inFIG.1, next to the machining station5, there is arranged a device for providing fresh electrolyte11, which serves for providing and feeding fresh electrolyte between the component3and the electrodes8during the machining process. In this case, the exemplary apparatus10has four fresh-electrolyte pumps, so that each electrode8can be supplied by a separate fresh-electrolyte pump. A device for removing spent electrolyte12, which serves for removing and storing spent electrolyte from the component3and/or from the electrodes8during and after the machining process, is arranged at the right next to the machining station5, and has only one spent-electrolyte pump, which feeds back the spent electrolyte.

On the exemplary apparatus10, two opposite-lying accesses15to machining station5are arranged, by which the component3or the machining station5is accessible to operating personnel2(FIG.1B), and/or at least one manipulating apparatus, such as a crane or a feeder. In the exemplary apparatus10according to the invention, the device for providing fresh electrolyte11is arranged on a first side adjacent to machining station5, and the device for removing spent electrolyte is arranged on a second side adjacent to the machining station5. Further, the two accesses15to the machining station5are arranged between the device for providing fresh electrolyte11and the device for removing spent electrolyte12, and essentially extend over the width of the machining station5.

The apparatus10further has a current supply device14that is arranged distributed on the apparatus and that has a control device and the necessary equipment for applying a positive voltage to the component3and for applying a negative voltage to the electrodes8. The elements of the current supply device14in this case are arranged adjacent to the device for providing fresh electrolyte11and the device for removing spent electrolyte12, whereby the accesses15to the machining station5between the device for providing fresh electrolyte11and the device for removing spent electrolyte12remain free. Additionally, an access16to the device for providing fresh electrolyte11remains free between elements of the current supply device14that are arranged adjacent to the device for providing fresh electrolyte11, and in the same way, an access17to the device for removing spent electrolyte12remains free between elements of the current supply device14that are arranged adjacent to the device for removing spent electrolyte12.

The electrodes8of the apparatus10can travel perpendicular to the plane of the drawing ofFIG.1, so that the movement path thereof runs in the vertical direction with respect to the component3held in the machining station5. Additionally, the machining station5has an active axis of rotation D overlying the component axis A, whereby, in addition to axis-parallel recesses or recesses formed obliquely to the axis (“crooked”) for this purpose, for example, a spiral-shaped machining can also be produced at the periphery of a rotationally symmetric component3.

FIG.1Bshows a schematic three-dimensional representation of the exemplary apparatus according to the invention fromFIG.1a, wherein identical elements are referred to by the same reference numbers. In addition, inFIG.1B, an operator2of the apparatus10is shown as well as an operator interface14aof the control device of the current supply device14.

InFIG.2, the sequence of the method according to the invention for machining a component3, particularly a planar component, by electrochemical machining, wherein the component3has internal stresses resulting, in particular, from preceding manufacturing steps, is shown schematically. For example, the method can be carried out with an apparatus10, as it is shown and described by way of example inFIGS.1aand1b. The method has the following steps:

In a first step a), the component3to be machined is provided. Subsequently, in step b) at least two tools are provided in the form of electrodes8, and in step c) an electrolyte is provided between the component3and the at least two electrodes8. In step d) a positive voltage is applied to the component3and a negative voltage is applied to the at least two electrodes8. Thus, in step e), by moving the at least two electrodes8along their respective movement path with respect to the component3, an electrochemical machining can take place; in this case, the gap between each electrode8and the component3is flushed with the electrolyte at least intermittently. Here, the electrochemical machining by the at least two electrodes8that are arranged distributed on the component3takes place parallel in time and with electrodes separated in space from each other, the respective movement paths thereof running parallel at least in sections, or running at an angle to an axis A of the component arranged in the direction of a short extension of the component3.

Alternatively, in another machining step e), a further electrochemical machining can be carried out by at least two electrodes that are arranged distributed on the periphery of the component3, said machining also being parallel in time and with electrodes locally separated from one another. In this case, the respective movement path of the at least two electrodes8also runs parallel or at an angle to an axis A of the component3arranged in the direction of a short extension of the component3. The axis A of the component3is arranged vertically and, in the apparatus shown inFIGS.1aand1b, corresponds to the active axis of rotation D of the machining station5.