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Procedia CIRP 13 (2014) 345 349

2nd CIRP Conference on Surface Integrity (CSI)

Selective surface texturing using electrolyte jet machining

Takuma Kawanakaa*, Shigeki Katoa, Masanori Kuniedaa,
James W. Murrayb, Adam T. Clareb
a
Department of Precision Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Hongo 7-3-1, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8685, Japan
b
Institute for Advanced Manufacturing, Department of M3, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
* Corresponding author. Tel.: +81-3-5841-6463; fax: +81-3-5841-1952. E-mail address: kawanaka@edm.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp.

Abstract

This paper describes development of a method for selective surface texturing using electrolyte jet machining.
Electrolyte jet machining is an electrochemical machining method in which dissolution occurs selectively where the
electrolyte jet hits the surface of the anode. This process is characterized by the ability to control the surface finish of
the removed or added micro patterns by the current density in the electrolyte jet. Higher current density results in a
mirror-like surface, while lower current density realizes significantly rough and complicated structures which are
difficult to obtain with other machining processes.

2014
2014The
TheAuthors. Published
Authors. by Elsevier
Published B.V. Open
by Elsevier B.V.access under CC BY-NC-ND license.
Selection and peer-review under responsibility of The International Scientific Committee of the 2nd Conference on Surface Integrity
Selection and peer-review under responsibility of The International Scientific Committee of the 2nd Conference on
in the person of the Conference Chair Prof Dragos Axinte dragos.axinte@nottingham.ac.uk
Surface Integrity in the person of the Conference Chair Prof Dragos Axinte dragos.axinte@nottingham.ac.uk

Keywords: Texture; Electro chemical machining (ECM); Stainless steel; Electrolyte jet; Micro machining; Electrolyte jet machining (EJM).

potential to be used for micro fluidic systems,

1. Introduction tribologically functional surfaces, and biomedical
applications. Hence, this paper investigates the influence
Electrolyte jet machining (EJM) [1, 2] is an of current density and electrolyte on the surface
adaptation of electrochemical machining. In EJM, a morphologies of stainless steel machined by EJM.
workpiece is machined only in the area hit by the
electrolyte jet which is ejected from a nozzle. By 2. Principle of electrolyte jet machining
translating the jet over the workpiece, intricate patterns
can be fabricated without the use of special mask [3]. Electrolyte jet machining is carried out by jetting
Even three-dimensional shapes can be machined by electrolytic aqueous solution from the nozzle toward the
controlling the current and dwelling time of the jet over workpiece while applying voltage to the gap as shown in
the workpiece [4]. Since EJM is an electrochemical Fig.
process, there are no burrs, cracks, or heat affected zones 1. Electrolyte jet
Nozzle (-)
generated by the process. This process can be used not
only for removing processes by anodic dissolution, but
Current density
also for coloring process by anodic oxidation [5].
Furthermore, by reversing the polarity, 3D additive
manufacturing can be performed [6]. In the previous
research [7], it was found that both glossy surface and
considerably rough surface can be obtained by
controlling the current density. Locally textured surfaces
with a large variety in surface topography have the Workpiece (+) Hydraulic jump

Fig. 1 Principle of electrolyte jet machining

2212-8271 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license.
Selection and peer-review under responsibility of The International Scientific Committee of the 2nd Conference on Surface Integrity in the person
of the Conference Chair Prof Dragos Axinte dragos.axinte@nottingham.ac.uk
doi:10.1016/j.procir.2014.04.058
346 Takuma Kawanaka et al. / Procedia CIRP 13 (2014) 345 349

Fig. 2 shows the electric potential distribution in the Z

electrolyte flow ejected from a cylindrical nozzle and the Cylindrical nozzle
resultant current density distribution over the workpiece Y X Gear pump
surface, calculated by Yoneda et al [8]. When the
electrolyte jet hits the workpiece at a sufficiently high
flow rate, the electrolyte flows rapidly outward in a fast
thin layer, and suddenly changes in its thickness in the
area far away from the nozzle due to the hydraulic jump
phenomenon. Only when this fast thin layer is formed, Constant current Electrolyte tank
distribution of the current density can be concentrated power supply Workpiece
under the nozzle as shown in Fig. 2 (b). As a result, the Fig. 3 Experimental equipment
material under the jet is selectively removed because of
Table 1. Machining conditions
electrolytic dissolution.
Workpiece material Stainless steel
(SUS304)
3. Experiment
Machining current [A] 0.05, 0.4 - 3.0
A schematic view of the experimental equipment is Current density [A/cm ]2
3.13, 24.9 - 186.9
shown in Fig. 3. The workpiece was set on a table which
Machining time [s] 2.67 - 13.3, 200
was placed in a work sink to drain the electrolyte. The
work sink and nozzle were installed on an orthogonal- Gap width [mm] 0.5
type robot whose XYZ axes were numerically controlled. Flow rate [ml/s] 5.4
Since the electrolyte was supplied from a gear pump, the
Nozzle inner diameter [mm] 1.43
flow rate was controlled by varying the pump revolution
speed. The polarity of the workpiece was set positive Electrolyte NaNO3aq 20wt%
with respect to the nozzle in the removal process. SEM NaClaq 20wt%
imaging was performed using a JEOL JSM-6010LV.
Surface roughness and profiles were taken using a 4. Experimental results and discussion
scanning white light interferometer (Zygo Newview700).
Surface roughness Ra was measured at four different 4.1. Influence of current density
parts on the bottom surface of machined dimples.
Machining conditions are shown in Table 1. Current In order to investigate the influence of current density
density is defined as the machining current divided by on surface roughness and morphology, stainless steel
the nozzle inner area because current density is not (SUS304) was machined with increasing current
uniform over the workpiece. densities from 25A/cm2 to 187A/cm2. In this experiment,
a sodium nitrate aqueous solution with 20 weight % was

2a
Nozzle inner diameter 2a
6a
Nozzle

5a
Normalized current density [a.u.]

3
Distance from anode surface

4a
0.3V0
2
3a
0.5V0

2a
0.7V0
1
a a/2
0.9V0

0 a 2a 3a 4a 0 a 2a 3a
Position in radial direction Position in radial direction
(a) Electric potential distribution (b) Current density distribution
Fig. 2 Electric potential and current density distributions in impinging cylindrical jet

used. By decreasing the machining time inversely
proportional to the current density, the total electric
charge was maintained the same, thereby approximately
50m deep dimples were obtained for every condition.
Fig. 4 shows photographs of the dimples machined with
increasing the current density. The machined surfaces
were not glossy when the current density was lower than
50A/cm2, while mirror like surfaces were obtained with
higher current densities. Fig. 5 shows the relationship
between surface roughness Ra and current density. With
increasing the current density, surface roughness rapidly
decreased, thereafter it gradually increased. The finest
surface roughness was Ra = 14.1nm under the current
density of 87A/cm2.
Current density, i (A/cm )
2
i = 25 i = 37 i = 50 i = 62
i = 112 i = 125 i = 137 i = 150 i = 162
Fig. 4 Dimples machined with increasing current densities
200
Surface roughness Ra [nm]
100
0 center of the dimples machined under current density of
0 50 100
Current density [A/cm2]
Fig. 5 Roughness of stainless steel machined with increasing
4.2. Mirror like surface texturing
Fig. 6 shows surface morphologies at the center of the
dimples machined under different current densities
measured using the scanning white light interferometer.
50 m
2 2
37A/cm
Ra: 74.3nm
Fig. 6 Surface morphologies under different current densities on stainless steel
Takuma Kawanaka et al. / Procedia CIRP 13 (2014) 345 349 347
At current density of 87A/cm2, significantly smooth
surface was obtained. At 37A/cm2, the morphology was
anisotropic influenced by the surface finish of the
material prior to EJM texturing (Fig. 7). In contrast, the
morphology at 137A/cm2 was isotropic.
500
nm
-500
Fig. 7 Surface finish of the material
prior to EJM texturing (Ra: 176nm)
5mm
i = 75 i = 87 i = 100 4.3. Porous structure surface texturing
Surfaces machined under lower current densities
showed complex porous features. In order to reveal the
influence of metallographic structure on the surface
morphology, stainless steel was textured with machining
i = 174 i = 187 time of ten seconds. Fig. 8 shows SEM images of the
metallographic structure of a stainless steel surface
before and after the texturing process. To observe the
metallographic structure before texturing, the surface
was etched using a nitrohydrochloric acid. Pitting
erosion was observed over the textured surface.
However, there are no relationship between the locations
of grain boundaries and generated pits.
Change in the surface morphology of stainless steel
was investigated using different electrolytes. Fig. 9
shows SEM images of surface morphologies at the
150 200 3.13A/cm2 using sodium nitrate and sodium chloride
aqueous solutions. Machining time was 200 seconds. A
large difference in average pore size indicates that the
microstructure does not influence the surface
morphology obtained by EJM under the conditions used
in the present work.
200
nm
50 m 50 m
-200
2
137A/cm
87A/cm
Ra: 11.7nm Ra: 44.1nm
348 Takuma Kawanaka et al. / Procedia CIRP 13 (2014) 345 349
20 m
(a) Raw material surface before texturing
Fig. 8 Location of pits generated by electrochemical erosion relative to grain boundaries
100 m
(a) Sodium nitrate aqueous solution
Fig. 9 Influence of electrolyte on surface morphology of stainless steel
5. Conclusions
In this study, a method for selective surface texturing
by EJM was developed and the influences of current
density and electrolyte on surface morphology were
investigated. The following conclusions were obtained.
z Surface textures can be controlled by changing
current density using EJM.
z With increasing current density, surface roughness
rapidly decreased, thereafter it gradually increased.
The finest surface roughness obtained was Ra =
14.1nm under the current density of 87A/cm2.
z Complicate porous structures were obtained under
lower current densities.
z Surface morphology was dependent on electrolyte.
Larger pores were generated with NaCl aqueous
solution than NaNO3.
z This method is useful to manufacture micro fluidic
systems, tribologically functional surfaces, and
biologically compatible surfaces.
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the Grants-in-Aid for
Scientific Research (Challenging Exploratory Research
23656096), 2011.
20 m
(b) Material surface after 10s of texturing
100 m
(b) Sodium chloride aqueous solution
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