An electrical machining device
AssigneeTexture Jet Ltd
InventorsJonathon Mitchell-Smith, Jack FOSTER
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electrical machining device is provided for machining a surface of a workpiece. The electrical machining device includes a nozzle connectable to an electrolyte reservoir, the nozzle configured to dispense electrolyte towards a surface of a workpiece, in use, and an electrolyte flow path for conveying electrolyte from an electrolyte reservoir to the nozzle. The electrolyte flow path has a gas inlet therealong and the electrical machining device is configured to inject a gas into electrolyte flowing along the electrolyte flow path via the gas inlet, in use, so as to form gas bubbles in said electrolyte.
Claims20
An electrical machining device for machining a surface of a workpiece, the electrical machining device comprising:
- a nozzle connectable to an electrolyte reservoir, the nozzle comprising an outlet port configured to dispense electrolyte towards a surface of a workpiece, in use;
- and
- an electrolyte flow path for conveying electrolyte from an electrolyte reservoir to the nozzle;
- wherein the electrolyte flow path comprises a gas inlet upstream of the outlet port of the nozzle, and
- wherein, in use, the electrical machining device is configured to inject a gas into electrolyte flowing along the electrolyte flow path via the gas inlet so as to form gas bubbles in said electrolyte.
An electrical machining process for machining a surface of a workpiece using an electrical machining device comprising a nozzle connectable to an electrolyte reservoir, an electrolyte flow path for conveying electrolyte from said electrolyte reservoir to the nozzle, said the electrolyte flow path comprising a gas inlet therealong, the electrical machining process comprising the steps of:
- conveying electrolyte along the electrolyte flow path;
- injecting a gas into the electrolyte within the electrolyte flow path via the gas inlet so as to form gas bubbles in said electrolyte;
- conveying the mixture of electrolyte and gas bubbles to an outlet port of the nozzle;
- dispensing the mixture of electrolyte and gas bubbles from the outlet port towards the surface of the workpiece;
- applying a charge to the nozzle and applying a charge to dispensed surface electrolyte solution on a surface of a workpiece, such that the nozzle and the surface electrolyte on said surface of a workpiece form first and second electrodes;
- and
- generating an electrical arc discharge at the nozzle which impacts on the surface of the workpiece.
The electrical machining process according to claim 19, comprising the step of applying a voltage in the range 10-600V and/or applying a current in the range 1-10 Amps.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.