Category: Unconventional Machining Processes

Plasma arc can produce a temperature as high as 33,000°°C. Plasma refers to a gas which has been raised to such a high temperature that it gets ionized and becomes electrically conductive. The plasma torch consists of a conversed focus of arc that operates between tungston electrode and workpiece. The torch is directed onto the…

When a discharge takes place between two points of the anode and the cathode, the intense heat generated near the zone melts and evaporates the materials. For improving the effectiveness, the workpiece and tool are submerged in a dielectric fluid as shown in Figure 23.9. It has been observed that both the electrodes are made of…

In this machining process, metal removal takes place due to erosion caused by electric spark. This process may be used for machining any material, irrespective of its hardness, which is an electrical conductor. The rate of metal removal and the resulting surface finish can be controlled by proper variations in the energy and the duration…

Laser (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation) is a highly coherent (in space and time) beam of electromagnetic radiation with wavelength varying from 0.1 to 70 mm. However, the power requirement for a machining operation restricts the effectively usable wavelength ranges to 0.4–0.6 mm. Because of the fact that the rays of a laser…

Electron beam machining is also a thermal process of material removal. Here, a stream of high-speed electrons impinges on the work surface whereby the kinetic energy, transferred to the work material, produces intense heating. Depending on the intensity of the heat thus generated, the material can melt or vaporize. Very high velocity of electron beam…

In this process, a photographic negative film is made that contains the accurate image of the part to be made. The negative is used as component images on to a metal sheet that is covered with a photographic resisting coating as shown in Figure 23.6. When it is exposed to ultraviolet light, the coating on the…