ME 6004

UNCONVENTIONAL
MACHINING PROCESS
UNIT I
INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION OF UNCONVENTIONAL
KINGST
MANUFACTURING PROCESS

In the early stage of mankind, tools were made of stone

for the item being made. When iron tools were invented,
desirable metals and more sophisticated articles could be
produced.

In twentieth century products were made from the most

durable and consequently, the most unmachinable materials.

In an effort to meet the manufacturing challenges created

by

these

materials
ceramics.

materials,
such as

tools
alloy

have
steel,

now

evolved

carbide,

to

include

diamond

and

INTRODUCTION OF UNCONVENTIONAL
KINGST
MANUFACTURING PROCESS

INTRODUCTION OF UNCONVENTIONAL
KINGST
MANUFACTURING PROCESS

In the figure Merchant had displayed the gradual increase in

strength

of

material with year wise development of material in

aerospace industry.

In conventional machining processes the ability of the cutting tool is

utilized to stress the material beyond the yield point to start the
material removal process. This requires that the cutting tool material
be harder than the work piece material.

The conventional manufacturing processes in use today for material

removal primarily rely on electric motors and hard tool materials
to perform tasks such as sawing, drilling and broaching.

INTRODUCTION OF UNCONVENTIONAL
KINGST
MANUFACTURING PROCESS

Conventional forming operations are performed with

the energy from electric motors, hydraulics and gravity.

Likewise, material joining is conventionally accomplished

with thermal energy sources such as burning gases
and electric arcs.

INTRODUCTION OF UNCONVENTIONAL
KINGST
MANUFACTURING PROCESS

In contrast, non-traditional manufacturing processes harness

energy sources considered unconventional by yesterdays
standards.

Material

removal

can

now

be

accomplished

with

electrochemical reaction, high temperature plasmas and

high-velocity jets of liquids and abrasives.

Materials that in the past have been extremely difficult

to form, are now formed with magnetic fields, explosives
and the shock waves from powerful electric sparks.

INTRODUCTION OF UNCONVENTIONAL
KINGST
MANUFACTURING PROCESS

Material-joining capabilities have been expanded with

the use of high-frequency sound waves and beams of
electrons and coherent light.

NEED OF UCM:

The advent of harder materials for aerospace applications

have made the removal process by conventional methods
very difficult as well as time consuming since the material
removal rate reduces with an increase in hardness of the
work material.

Hence machining processes which utilise other methods

such

as

electro-chemical

processes

are

termed

Unconventional or Non-traditional machining methods.

as

INTRODUCTION OF UNCONVENTIONAL
KINGST
MANUFACTURING PROCESS

The main reasons for using non-traditional processes are :

High strength alloys.

Complex surfaces.

High accuracies and surface finish.

INTRODUCTION OF UNCONVENTIONAL
KINGST
MANUFACTURING PROCESS

CLASSIFICATION OF UNCONVENTIONAL
MANUFACTURING PROCESSES

The non-conventional manufacturing processes are not

affected

by

hardness,

toughness

or brittleness

of

material and can produce any intricate shape on any

work piece material by suitable control over the various
physical parameters of the processes.

Thus, these non-conventional processes can be classified

into various groups according to the basic requirements
which are as follows :

INTRODUCTION OF UNCONVENTIONAL
KINGST
MANUFACTURING PROCESS

Type of energy :
Chemical
Electro-chemical
Mechanical
Electrical

and

Thermal.

Mechanism of metal removal :

Shear
Erosion
Chemical

ablation
Ionic dissolution
Spark erosion
Vaporisation

INTRODUCTION OF UNCONVENTIONAL
KINGST
MANUFACTURING PROCESS

Media for energy transfer :

Physical contact
High velocity particles
Reactive atmosphere
Electrolyte
Hot gases
Electrons
Radiation

Source of energy :
Hydraulic or pneumatic pressure
Mechanical pressure
Corrosive agent
High current
High voltage
Ionized gas

INTRODUCTION OF UNCONVENTIONAL
KINGST
MANUFACTURING PROCESS

Common Unconventional Machining

Methods :
Electrical

Discharge Machining (EDM)

Electro-Chemical

Machining (ECM)

Electro-Chemical

Grinding (ECG)

Ultrasonic
Electron
Laser

Machining (USM)

Beam Machining (EBM)

Beam Machining (LBM)

Plasma

Arc Machining (PAM)

Abrasive

Jet Machining (AJM)

Chemical

Machining (CHM).

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INTRODUCTION OF UNCONVENTIONAL
KINGST
MANUFACTURING PROCESS

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF
UNCONVENTIONAL MANUFACTURING
PROCESSES

A particular manufacturing process found suitable under the given

conditions may not be equally efficient under other conditions.

Therefore,

careful

selection

of

the process

for

given

manufacturing problem is essential. The analysis has been made

from the point of view of :

Physical parameters involved in the processes;

Capability of machining different shapes of work material;

Applicability of different processes to various types of material,

e.g. metals, alloys and non-metals;

Operational characteristics of manufacturing and

Economics involved in the various processes.

INTRODUCTION OF UNCONVENTIONAL
KINGST
MANUFACTURING PROCESS
Physical parameters

The physical parameters of non-conventional machining

processes have a direct impact on the metal removal as
well as on the energy consumed in different processes.

INTRODUCTION OF UNCONVENTIONAL
KINGST
MANUFACTURING PROCESS

From

comparative

study

of

the

effect

of

Nmetal

removal rate on the power consumed by various nonconventional machining processes shown in fig.

INTRODUCTION OF UNCONVENTIONAL
KINGST
MANUFACTURING PROCESS

It is found that some of the processes (e.g. EBM,

ECM) above the mean power consumption line consume
a greater amount of power than the processes (e.g.
EDM, PAM, ECG) below the mean power consumption
line.

Thus, the capital cost involved in the processes (EBM,

ECM etc.) lying above the mean line is high whereas
for the processes below that line (e.g., EDM, PAM,
MCG) is comparatively low.

INTRODUCTION OF UNCONVENTIONAL
KINGST
MANUFACTURING PROCESS

Capability to shape

The capability of different processes can be analysed on the

basis of various machining operation point of view such
as

micro-drilling,

(shallow and

drilling,

deep),

cavity

contouring

cutting (shallow and deep) etc.

sinking,
a

surface,

pocketing
through

INTRODUCTION OF UNCONVENTIONAL
KINGST
MANUFACTURING PROCESS

For micro-drilling operation, the only process which has

good capability to micro- drill is laser beam machining
while

for

ratio

drilling

shapes

having

slenderness

, the process USM, ECM and EDM will be

most suitable.

EDM and ECM processes have good capability to make

pocketing operation (shallow or deep).

For surface contouring operation, ECM process is most

suitable

but

other

processes except

application for contouring operation.

EDM

have

no

INTRODUCTION OF UNCONVENTIONAL
KINGST
MANUFACTURING PROCESS

Applicability to materials

Machining characteristics
The machining characteristics of different nonconventional processes can be analysed with
respect to :
Metal

removal rate
Tolerance maintained
Surface finish obtained
Depth of surface damage
Power required for machining

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Economics of the processes

Capital

cost

Tooling

cost

Consumed
Metal
Tool

power cost

removal rate efficiency

wear.

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