Automated iterative electrode fabrication for pulsed electrochemical machining

A device for defining a pulsed electrochemical machining (pECM) tool, comprising:

• a memory configured to store:
• workpiece model data representative of a finished surface of a master workpiece;
• and
• initial electrode model data representative of a working surface of an initial electrode;
• and
• one or more processors configured to:
• receive workpiece measurement data representative of a machined surface of a machined workpiece, wherein the machined workpiece has been machined by the working surface of the initial electrode, and wherein the workpiece measurement data comprises a first point cloud;
• identify a set of dimensional differences between the workpiece measurement data and the workpiece model data, wherein the workpiece model data comprises a second point cloud, and wherein the set of dimensional differences comprises a plurality of vectors representing a distance between corresponding data points of the first point cloud and the second point cloud;
• update, based on the set of dimensional differences, the initial electrode model data;
• and
• output the updated electrode model data.

A system for refining a pulsed electrochemical machining (pECM) tool, comprising:

• a coordinate measurement device configured to generate workpiece measurement data representative of a machined workpiece;
• and
• a computing device comprising one or more processors configured to:
• receive the workpiece measurement data, wherein the machined workpiece has been machined by a working surface of an initial electrode, and wherein the workpiece measurement data comprises a first point cloud;
• identify a set of dimensional differences between the workpiece measurement data and workpiece model data representative of a finished surface of a master workpiece, wherein the workpiece model data comprises a second point cloud, and wherein the set of dimensional differences comprises a plurality of vectors representing a distance between corresponding data points of the first point cloud and the second point cloud;
• update, based on the set of dimensional differences, initial electrode model data representative of the working surface of the initial electrode;
• and
• output the updated electrode model data.