Electrochemical machining using porous electrodes fabricated by powder bed fusion additive manufacturing process

A new tool electrode having a porous structure is developed for electrochemical machining (ECM), in which electrolyte fluid can be forced through its permeable structure. This electrode can be easily fabricated using a laser sintering technique of additive manufacturing. Small pores and large porosity can be obtained using a higher laser scanning speed, which increases the flow rate of the electrolyte. ECM results show that a nearly flat surface of the machined hole is obtained and small pores are less likely to cause protrusions on the machined surface. Moreover, the machining speed can be increased as the flow rate increases.