Vibration assisted wire electrochemical micro machining of array micro tools

- The influence of bubble behaviour on electric field was studied through simulations.
- By using electrodes vibration, bubbles were driven out of the machining gap quickly.
- Optimal machining parameters were obtained though experimental study.
- Micro square columnar tool arrays with good shapes were fabricated.
- The micro dimple array was fabricated by employing tool array as the cathode.

Micro structures and components are widely used in modern industries, and micro machining has therefore become a popular research topic. As micro tools are essential in micro machining, wire electrochemical micro machining is introduced in the fabrication of micro tools in this paper, and micro square column tool arrays are fabricated using wire cathodes by two steps. In order to improve the machining efficiency and quality, an electrode vibration technique is used, and the effects of bubble behaviour on slit width homogeneity and edge radius are studied through simulations of the electric field. The influences of various machining parameters such as vibration conditions, electrical properties, electrolyte concentration and feedrate on the standard deviation of the slit width and on the value of the edge radius are investigated. In addition, the micro dimple array is fabricated using electrochemical micro machining by employing the micro square column tool array as the cathode.