Introduction to Non-Conventional Operations

Non-Traditional Machining:

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 tool in
the conventional sense.
• Traditional machining is mostly based on removal of materials using
tools that are harder than the materials themselves.
• New and novel materials because of their greatly improved chemical,
mechanical and thermal properties are sometimes impossible to machine
using traditional machining processes.
• Traditional machining methods are often ineffective in machining hard
materials like ceramics and composites or machining under very tight
tolerances as in micro machined components.
Geometry Features of Non-Traditional Machining:

• Very small holes

• Holes with large depth-to-diameter ratios
• Holes that are not round
• Narrow slots in slabs and plates
• Micromachining
• Shallow pockets and surface details in flat parts
• Special contoured shapes for mold and die applications
Classification of Non-Traditional Machining:
These can be classified
according to the source of energy used to generate such a machining
action:
• Mechanical Energy Processes
• Electrochemical Machining Processes
• Thermal Energy Processes
• Chemical Machining
Mechanical Energy Processes:

1. Ultrasonic Machining (USM):

Abrasives contained in a slurry are driven at high velocity against
work by a tool vibrating at low amplitude and high frequency
• Tool oscillation is perpendicular to work surface
• Tool is fed slowly into work
• Shape of tool is formed in part
2. Water Jet Cutting (WJC):
Uses a fine, high pressure, high velocity stream of water directed at
work surface for cutting.
• Usually automated by CNC or industrial robots to manipulate
nozzle along desired trajectory
• Used to cut narrow slits in flat stock such as plastic, textiles,
composites, floor tile, carpet, leather, and cardboard
• Not suitable for brittle materials (e.g., glass)
• WJC advantages: no crushing or burning of work surface,
minimum material loss, no environmental pollution, and ease of
automation

3. Abrasive Water Jet Cutting (AWJC):

When WJC is used on metals, abrasive particles must be added to jet
stream usually. Additional process parameters: abrasive type, grit
size, and flow rate.
 a. Abrasives: aluminum oxide, silicon dioxide, and garnet (a
silicate mineral)
b. Grit sizes range between 60 and 120
c. Grits added to water stream at about 0.25 kg/min (0.5
lb./min) after it exits nozzle

4. Abrasive Jet Machining (AJM):

High velocity stream of gas containing small abrasive particles.
• Usually performed manually by operator who directs nozzle
• Normally used as a finishing process rather than cutting process
• Applications: deburring, trimming and deflashing, cleaning, and
polishing
Work materials: thin flat stock of hard, brittle materials (e.g., glass,
silicon, mica, ceramics)
Electrochemical Machining Processes:
1. Electrochemical Machining (ECM):
Material removal by anodic dissolution, using electrode (tool) in close
proximity to the work but separated by a rapidly flowing electrolyte.
Material is deplated from anode work piece (positive pole) and
transported to a cathode tool (negative pole) in an electrolyte bath
• Electrolyte flows rapidly between the two poles to carry off
deplated material, so it does not plate onto tool
• Electrode materials: Cu, brass, or stainless steel
• Tool has inverse shape of part
 Tool size and shape must allow for the gap

2.
Electrochemical Deburring (ECD):
Adaptation of ECM to remove burrs or round sharp corners on holes
in metal parts produced by conventional through-hole drilling.
 3. Electrochemical Grinding (ECG):
Special form of ECM in which a grinding wheel with conductive
bond material is used to augment anodic dissolution of metal part
surface.
• Applications:
 Sharpening of cemented carbide tools.
 Grinding of surgical needles, other thin wall tubes, and
fragile parts.
• Advantages:
 Deplating responsible for 95% of metal removal, and
abrasive action removes remaining 5%.
 Because machining is mostly by electrochemical action,
grinding wheel lasts much longer.

Thermal Energy Processes:

1. Electric Discharge Machining (EDM):
Metal removal by a series of discrete electrical discharges (sparks)
causing localized temperatures high enough to melt or vaporize the
metal.
• Can be used only on electrically conducting work materials.
• One of the most widely used nontraditional processes.
• Shape of finished work surface produced by a formed electrode
tool.
• Sparks occur across a small gap between tool and work.
• Requires dielectric fluid, which creates a path for each discharge as
fluid becomes ionized in the gap.

Applications:
• Tooling for many mechanical processes: molds for plastic injection
molding, extrusion dies, wire drawing dies, forging and heading
dies, and sheet metal stamping dies.
• Production parts: delicate parts not rigid enough to withstand
conventional cutting forces, hole drilling where hole axis is at an
acute angle to surface, and machining of hard and exotic metals.
2. Wire EDM:
Special form of EDM that uses small diameter wire as electrode to cut
a narrow kerf in work.
• Work is fed slowly past wire along desired cutting path, like a
band saw operation.
• CNC used for motion control.
• While cutting, wire is continuously advanced between supply
spool and take-up spool to maintain a constant diameter.
• Dielectric required, using nozzles directed at tool-work interface or
submerging work part.

3. Electron Beam Machining (EBM):

Uses high velocity stream of electrons focused on work piece surface
to remove material by melting and vaporization.
4. Laser Beam Machining (LBM):
Uses the light energy from a laser to remove material by vaporization
and ablation.
Applications:
• Drilling, slitting, slotting, scribing, and marking operations.
• Drilling small diameter holes - down to 0.025 mm (0.001 in).
• Generally used on thin stock.
• Work materials: metals with high hardness and strength, soft
metals, ceramics, glass and glass epoxy, plastics, rubber, cloth, and
wood.
5. Plasma Arc Cutting (PAC):
Uses a plasma stream operating at very high temperatures to cut metal
by melting.
Applications:
• Most applications of PAC involve cutting of flat metal sheets and
plates.
• Hole piercing and cutting along a defined path.
• Can be operated by hand-held torch or automated by CNC.
• Can cut any electrically conductive metal.
• Most frequently cut metals: carbon steel, stainless steel, aluminum.
Chemical Machining:
Chemical milling and photochemical
machining or photochemical blanking all use a chemical dissolution
action to remove the machining allowance through ions in an etchant.
Material removal through contact with a strong chemical etchant.
• Processes include:
 Chemical milling
 Chemical blanking
 Chemical engraving
 Photochemical machining
• All utilize the same mechanism of material removal.

 Steps in Chemical Machining:

1. Cleaning - to insure uniform etching.
2. Masking - a maskant (resist, chemically resistant to etchant) is
applied to portions of work surface not to be etched.
3. Etching - part is immersed in etchant which chemically attacks
those portions of work surface that are not masked.
4. Demasking - maskant is removed.
 Etchant:
• Factors in selection of etchant:
 Work material
 Depth and rate of material removal
 Surface finish requirements
 • Etchant must also be matched with the type of maskant to insure
that maskant material is not chemically attacked

Applications:
 Remove material from aircraft wing and fuselage panels for weight
reduction
 Applicable to large parts where substantial amounts of metal are
removed
 Cut and peel maskant method is used very commonly.

 Etching occurs downward and sideways under the maskant.

 Sequence of processing steps in chemical milling.

Difference between Conventional and Non-
Conventional Machining:
1. The conventional machining process involved tool wearing as
there is physical contact between the tool and the work piece. In the
non-conventional process, this is not the case.
2. Non-conventional tools are more accurate and precise than the
conventional tool.
3. No noise pollution is created as a result of non-conventional
methods as these tools are much quieter.
4. Tool life is long for non-conventional processing.
5. Non-conventional tools are very expensive than conventional tools.
6. Non-conventional tools have complex setup and hence requires a
skillful operation by expert workers, whereas conventional tools do
not require any special expert for its operation and are quite simple in
the set-up.
7. Spare parts of conventional machines are easily available but not
for non-conventional machines.
8. Extremely hard material can be cut easily with the help of
nonconventional machining but conventional machining, raw material
should be less hard than a cutting tool.
9. In conventional machining: Material removal takes place due to
the application of cutting forces – the energy domain can be classified
as mechanical. In Non-Conventional Machining: 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.
10. Non-Conventional machines can handle very complex jobs as
compare to Conventional machining.