Nalanda college of

engineering
Non-conventional machining

By:-Raj aryan
 Non-traditional Machining Processes
Manufacturing processes can be broadly divided into two groups:
a) primary manufacturing processes : Provide basic shape and size
b) secondary manufacturing processes : Provide final shape and
size with tighter control on dimension, surface characteristics
Material removal processes once again can be divided into two groups
1. Conventional Machining Processes
2. Non-Traditional Manufacturing Processes or non-conventional
Manufacturing processes

Conventional Machining Processes mostly remove material in the

form of chips by applying forces on the work material with a
wedge shaped cutting tool that is harder than the work material
under machining condition.
 Non-traditional Machining Processes
The major characteristics of conventional machining are:
• Generally macroscopic chip formation by shear deformation
• Material removal takes place due to application of cutting
forces – energy domain can be classified as mechanical
• Cutting tool is harder than work piece at room temperature
as well as under machining conditions

Non-conventional manufacturing processes is defined as a

group of processes that remove excess material by various
techniques involving mechanical, thermal, electrical or
chemical energy or combinations of these energies but do not
use a sharp cutting tools as it needs to be used for traditional
manufacturing processes.
The major characteristics of Non-conventional machining are:
1. Material removal may occur with chip formation or even no chip
formation may take place. For example in AJM, chips are of
microscopic size and in case of Electrochemical machining
material removal occurs due to electrochemical dissolution at
atomic level.
 Non-traditional Machining Processes
The major characteristics of Non-conventional machining:

2. In NTM, there may not be a physical tool present. For example in

laser jet machining, machining is carried out by laser beam.
However in Electrochemical Machining there is a physical tool
that is very much required for machining
3. In NTM, the tool need not be harder than the work piece material.
For example, in EDM, copper is used as the tool material to
machine hardened steels.
4. Mostly NTM processes do not necessarily use mechanical energy
to provide material removal. They use different energy domains
to provide machining. For example, in USM, AJM, WJM
mechanical energy is used to machine material, whereas in ECM
electrochemical dissolution constitutes material removal.
 Classification of NTM processes
classification of NTM processes is carried out depending on the nature
of energy used for material removal.
1. Mechanical Processes
• Abrasive Jet Machining (AJM)
• Ultrasonic Machining (USM)
• Water Jet Machining (WJM)
• Abrasive Water Jet Machining (AWJM)
2. Electrochemical Processes
• Electrochemical Machining (ECM)
• Electro Chemical Grinding (ECG)
• Electro Jet Drilling (EJD)
3. Electro-Thermal Processes
• Electro-discharge machining (EDM)
• Laser Jet Machining (LJM)
• Electron Beam Machining (EBM)
4. Chemical Processes
• Chemical Milling (CHM)
• Photochemical Milling (PCM)
 Needs for Non Traditional Machining
• Extremely hard and brittle materials or Difficult to machine materials
are difficult to machine by traditional machining processes.
• When the workpiece is too flexible or slender to support the cutting or
grinding forces.
• When the shape of the part is too complex.
• Intricate shaped blind hole – e.g. square hole of 15 mmx15 mm with
a depth of 30 mm
• Deep hole with small hole diameter – e.g. φ 1.5 mm hole with l/d = 20
• Machining of composites.
 Abrasive Jet Machining
In Abrasive Jet Machining (AJM), abrasive particles are made to impinge
on the work material at a high velocity. The high velocity abrasive particles
remove the material by micro-cutting action as well as brittle fracture of the
work material.
 Abrasive Jet Machining
In AJM, generally, the abrasive particles of around 50 μm grit size
would impinge on the work material at velocity of 200 m/s from a
nozzle of I.D. of 0.5 mm with a stand off distance of around 2 mm.
The kinetic energy of the abrasive particles would be sufficient to
provide material removal due to brittle fracture of the work piece or
even micro cutting by the abrasives.
Abrasive Jet Machining

AJM set-up
 Abrasive Jet Machining
Process Parameters and Machining Characteristics
Abrasive : Material – Al2O3 / SiC
Shape – irregular / spherical
Size – 10 ~ 50 μm
Mass flow rate – 2 ~ 20 gm/min
Carrier gas : Composition – Air, CO2, N2
Density – Air ~ 1.3 kg/m3
Velocity – 500 ~ 700 m/s
Pressure – 2 ~ 10 bar
Flow rate – 5 ~ 30 lpm
Abrasive Jet : Velocity – 100 ~ 300 m/s
Mixing ratio – mass flow ratio of abrasive to gas
Stand-off distance – 0.5 ~ 5 mm
Impingement Angle – 600 ~ 900
Nozzle : Material – WC
Diameter – (Internal) 0.2 ~ 0.8 mm
Life – 10 ~ 300 hours
 Abrasive Jet Machining
effect of process parameters on MRR
Abrasive Jet Machining
 Abrasive Jet Machining

Modelling of material removal

Material removal in AJM takes place due to brittle fracture of the
work material due to impact of high velocity abrasive particles.

Modelling has been done with the following assumptions:

(i) Abrasives are spherical in shape and rigid. The particles are
characterised by the mean grit diameter
(ii) The kinetic energy of the abrasives are fully utilised in
removing material
(iii) Brittle materials are considered to fail due to brittle fracture
and the fracture volume is considered to be hemispherical with
diameter equal to chordal length of the indentation
(iv) For ductile material, removal volume is assumed to be equal
to the indentation volume due to particulate impact.
Material removal by abrasive to the w/p
 Application of AJM
• Abrassive water jet cutting is highly used in aeroscope ,automotive
and electronics industries.
• In aerospace industries, parts such as titanium bodies for military
aircrafts,engine components (aluminium, titanium, heat resistant
alloys), aluminium body parts and interior cabin parts are made using
abrasive water jet cutting.
• In automotive industries, parts like interior trim (head liners, trunk
liners, door panels) and fibre glass body components and bumpers
are made by this process. Similarly, in electronics industries, circuit
boards and cable stripping are made by abrasive water jet cutting.
 Advantage & Disadvantage of AJM
Advantage
• In most of the cases, no
secondary finishing required.
• Low cutting forces on
worpiece.
• Limited tooling requirements.
• Typical finish 125-250
microns.
• No heat affected zone.
• No cutter induced metal
contamination.
• Precise, multi plane cutting of
contours, shapes, and bevels
of any angle.
Disadvantage
• Cannot drill flat bottom.
• Cannot cut materials that
degrades quickly with moisture.
• Surface finish degrades at
higher cut speeds which are
frequently used for rough
cutting.
• The major disadvantages of
abrasive water jet cutting are
high capital cost and high.
• noise levels during operation.
 ULTRASONIC MACHINING (USM)
• Ultrasonic Machining is a non-traditional process, in which abrasives
• contained in a slurry are driven against the work by a tool oscillating at
low
• amplitude (25-100 μm) and high frequency (15-30 KHz):
• The process was first developed in 1950s and was originally used for
finishing EDM surfaces.
• The basic process is that a ductile and tough tool is pushed against the
work with a constant force. A constant stream of abrasive slurry passes
between the tool and the work (gap is 25-40 μm) to provide abrasives
and carry away chips.
• The basic components to the cutting action are believed to be,
• brittle fracture caused by impact of abrasive grains due to the tool
vibration;
• cavitation induced erosion;
• chemical erosion caused by slurry
 Working principle of USM
• Material removal primarily occurs due to the indentation of the hard
abrasive grits on the brittle work material.
• Other than this brittle failure of the work material due to indentation some
material removal may occur due to free flowing impact of the abrasives
against the work material and related solid-solid impact erosion,
• Tool’s vibration – indentation by the abrasive grits.
• During indentation, due to Hertzian contact stresses, cracks would
develop just below the contact site, then as indentation progresses the
cracks would propagate due to increase in stress and ultimately lead to
brittle fracture of the work material under each individual interaction site
between the abrasive grits and the work piece.
• The tool material should be such that indentation by the abrasive grits
does not lead to brittle failure.
• Thus the tools are made of tough, strong and ductile materials like steel,
stainless steel and other ductile metallic alloys.
 USM
• Process variables:

• Amplitude of vibration (ao) – 15 – 50 μm

• Frequency of vibration (f) – 19 – 25 kHz
• Feed force (F) – related to tool dimensions
• Feed pressure (p)
• Abrasive size – 15 μm – 150 μm
• Abrasive material – Al2O3
- SiC
- B4C
- Boronsilicarbide
- Diamond
Flow strength of work material
Flow strength of the tool material
Contact area of the tool – A
Volume concentration of abrasive in water slurry – C
USM Equipment
Material removal rate
 Application of USM
• Used for machining hard and brittle metallic alloys, semiconductors ,glass
, ceramics, carbides etc.
• Used for machining round, square, irregular shaped holes and surface
impressions.
• Used to machine hard materials like tool steel, tungsten and hard
carbides.
• Threading of various glass and ceramic materials.
• Used for making tools and dies.
• Soft materials like non-ferrous metals and alloys and brittle materials can
be machined.
• To produce high quality surface.
• Hard materials and precious stones such as synthetic ruby for the
preparation of jewels for watch and timer movements are successfully
machined by this method
 Advantage & Disadvantage of USM
Advantage
• Especially suitable for
machining of brittle materials.
• No burrs and no distortion of
workpiece.
• Hard and brittle metals can be
machined.
• Stresses are minimum.
• Thin sheets can be machined.
• Investment cost is low.
• Power consumption is low.
Disvantage
• USM has higher power
consumption and lower
material-removal rates than
traditional fabrication
processes.
• Tool wears fast in USM.
• Machining area and depth is
restraint in USM.
• Not suitable for soft workpiece
material.
• Machining accuracy is poor.
• Nozzle wear rate is high.
• Suitable only for small
workpieces.
 ELECTROCHEMICAL MACHINING (ECM)
• uses an electrolyte at a high rate from the tool piece to wash away the
metal ions from the workpiece.
• the tool is usually solid or tubular form
• Material removal rate is 1.5 – 4mm³
• ECM was developed in 1929
• Not as widely used as other processes.

• Electrolytic fluid flows around workpiece to

remove ions and maintain electrical current path.

• Generally used to make complex cavities and shapes

• Finishes parts burr-free and bright surfaces
• Never has any thermal damage to part or wear on the tools
• Low DC voltage, very High current (700 amps)
Application
• USED FOR MACHINING STEEL AND SUPER ALLOYS
• CANNOT MACHINE NON-CONDUCTING MATERIALS LIKE CERAMICS,
PLASTICS AND GLASS

Advantages
• The components are not subject to either thermal or mechanical stress.
• No tool wear during ECM process
• Fragile parts can be machined easily as there is no stress involved.
• High surface finish (up to 25 μm in) can be achieved by ECM process
• Complex geometrical shapes in high-strength materials particularly in the
aerospace industry for the mass production of turbine blades, jet-engine parts
and nozzles can be machined repeatedly and accurately.
• Deep holes can be made by this process.

Disadvantage
• ECM is not suitable to produce sharp square corners or flat bottoms because
of the tendency for the electrolyte to erode away sharp profiles.
• ECM can be applied to most metals but, due to the high equipment costs, is
usually used primarily for highly specialised applications.
 ELECTRICAL DISCHARGE MACHINING (EDM)
• Direct Competitor of ECM – much more common than ECM
• The tool acts as a cathode (typically graphite) is immersed in a Dielectric
fluid with conductive workpiece
• DC voltage (~300V) is applied. As voltage builds up over gap between
workpiece and tool, eventually you get dielectric breakdown (sparking at
around 12,000 deg F)
• The sparking erodes the workpiece in the shape of the tool
• The tool is progressively lowered by CNC as the workpiece erodes
• Cycle is repeated at 200,000-500,000 Hz
• Dielectric:
– Cools tool and workpiece
– Flushes out debris from work area

• Uses an electrode that sends out the sparks which erodes the metal
• Uses dielectric fluids for cooling and flushing of the material
APPLICATION
• USED FOR MACHINING STEEL, SUPER ALLOYS, TITANIUM AND
REFRACTORY MATERIALS
• CANNOT BE USED FOR MACHINING NON-CONDUCTING MATERIALS.

Advantages
• By this process, materials of any hardness can be machined;
• No burrs are left in machined surface;
• One of the main advantages of this process is that thin and fragile/brittle
components can be machined without distortion;
• Complex internal shapes can be machined
Disadvantage
• This process can only be employed in electrically conductive materials;
• Material removal rate is low and the process overall is slow compared to
conventional machining processes;
• Unwanted erosion and over cutting of material can occur;
• Rough surface finish when at high rates of material removal