Study on the influence of dynamic characteristics of bubbles on electrochemical discharge machining conductive materials

Abstract Electrochemical discharge machining (ECDM) is widely used to machine miniaturized products with electrically conductive and non-conductive materials. However, less attention has been focused on the effect of dynamic characteristics of bubbles on machining electrically conductive materials. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the dynamic properties of bubbles on the characteristics of machining electrically conductive materials in the ECDM process. To clearly distinguish the effect of the dynamic characteristics of bubbles on the machining process, the large viscosity M-type composite electrolyte was applied, and the movement process of the bubbles was captured by high-speed camera. The effect of the dynamic properties of bubbles on the ignition delay time, the material removal rate (MRR) and the discharge gap have been investigated. The results show that there is an ignition delay time phenomenon, and the stable bubbles state can reduce the ignition delay time. Furthermore, the dynamic characteristics of the bubble may affect the energy conversion efficiency during the ECDM process. A higher MRR and a larger discharge gap can be obtained in the state with a stable bubble condition.