Multiobjective Optimization of Heat-Treated Copper Tool Electrode on EMM Process Using Artificial Bee Colony (ABC) Algorithm

Electrochemical micromachining (EMM) is a plausible method for manufacturing high accuracy and precision microscale components in a broad range of materials. EMM is commonly utilized to manufacture turbine blades for automobiles and aircrafts. In this present study, the EMM process was performed with a heat-treated copper tool electrode on aluminum 8011 alloy. The process parameters such as voltage, concentration of electrolyte, frequency, and duty factor were varied to analyze the effect of a heat-treated electrode on material removal rate (MRR), overcut, conicity, and circularity. It was observed that high MRR was obtained with lower overcut with an annealed electrode. The better conicity and circularity were obtained with a quenched electrode compared to other heat-treated and untreated tool electrodes. The artificial bee’s colony (ABC) algorithm was used to identify the optimum parameters and, finally, the confirmation test was carried out to evaluate the error difference on the machining process. The optimum combination of input process parameters found using TOPSIS and ABC algorithm for the EMM process are voltage (14 V), electrolyte concentration (30 g/L), frequency (60 Hz), and duty cycle (33%) for the annealed tool electrode and voltage (14 V), electrolyte concentration (20 g/L), frequency (70 Hz), and duty cycle (33%) for the quenched tool electrode. It was confirmed that 95% of accurate response values were proven under the optimum parameter combination

Influence of Silver-Coated Tool Electrode on Electrochemical Micromachining of Incoloy 825

Incoloy 825 alloy is often used in calorifiers, propeller shafts, and tank vehicles owing to the improved resistance to aqueous corrosion. The electrochemical micromachining process can be utilized to machine such an engineering material owing to higher precision and lower tool wear. In the present study, an investigation was performed to enhance the process of creating micro-holes using silver-coated copper tool electrodes. The sodium nitrate electrolyte was used under different levels of input parameters such as voltage, electrolyte concentration, frequency, and duty cycle with a view to improving material removal rate, conicity, overcut, and circularity. It was found that silver-coated copper tool electrode had a high material removal rate (MRR), better overcut, conicity, and circularity compared to uncoated copper tools in most cases, due to its high corrosive resistance and electrical conductivity. From SEM and EDS analysis, it was observed that better surface topography of the micro-holes is obtained with silver-coated copper tool electrode while machining Incoloy 825 alloy in the micromachining process