Electrochemical drilling of substrates
AssigneeCorning Incorporated
InventorThomas W. Brew
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A process is set forth for electrochemically machining holes in a workpiece, such as a die, in such a manner so as to virtually eliminate surface finish patterns normally introduced by the electrochemical machining process, by randomly forming sequences of patterns of holes extending in rows across the workpiece along its extent, and then rotating the workpiece 180.degree. and randomly forming additional sequences of patterns of holes across the workpiece adjacent those sequences of holes which were formed prior to rotating the workpiece 180.degree..
Claims12
A method of electrochemically drilling feedholes in a die blank which comprises:
- providing a die blank having a first half and a second half;
- providing an electrochemical drilling rig having a plurality of drilling tubes which extend across a desired width of said die blank in a given row-like pattern;
- randomly electrochemically drilling, along the length of the die blank, not more than half of the required number of row-like patterns of feedholes in the die blank;
- relatively rotating the die blank 180.degree. with respect to said drilling rig;
- and,
- randomly electrochemically drilling the remaining number of row-like patterns of feedholes in the die blank to complete the required number.
A method of electrochemically forming apertures in a workpiece comprising:
- providing a workpiece to be electrochemically drilled;
- electrochemically forming a desired row of apertures extending across a portion of said workpiece;
- randomly forming sequences of said desired row of apertures along the length of said workpiece;
- relatively rotating said workpiece 180.degree. with respect to said desired row of apertures;
- electrochemically forming a further row of apertures extending across a portion of said rotated workpiece;
- and
- randomly forming sequences of said further row of apertures along the length of said workpiece, at least some of said sequences of said further row of apertures being intermediate to said sequences of said desired row of apertures.
A method of repeatably electrochemically drilling a pattern of holes across a desired portion of a workpiece which comprises:
- providing a workpiece to be electrochemically drilled, having a first half and a second half;
- sequentially electrochemically drilling a desired pattern of holes across a desired portion of said workpiece, such that successive sequences of said hole patterns are randomly formed in alternate halves of said workpiece;
- rotating said workpiece 180.degree., and;
- sequentially electrochemically drilling a further pattern of holes across a desired portion of said workpiece, such that the successive sequences of said further hole patterns are randomly formed in alternate halves of said workpiece.
A method of electrochemically forming apertures in a workpiece comprising:
- providing a workpiece to be electrochemically drilled;
- electrochemically forming a desired row of apertures extending across a portion of said workpiece;
- forming sequences of said desired row of apertures along the length of said workpiece;
- relatively rotating said workpiece 180.degree. with respect to said desired row of apertures;
- electrochemically forming a further row of apertures extending across a portion of said rotated workpiece;
- and forming sequences of said further row of apertures along the length of said workpiece;
- wherein at least some of said sequences of said further row of apertures are intermediate to said sequences of said desired row of apertures and each of said sequences of said further row of apertures is formed adjacent a desired row of apertures formed prior to rotating said workpiece.
A method of repeatably electrochemically drilling a pattern of holes across a desired portion of a workpiece which comprises:
- providing a workpiece to be electrochemically drilled, having a first half and a second half;
- sequentially electrochemically drilling a desired pattern of holes across a desired portion of said workpiece, such that successive sequences of said hole patterns are formed in alternate halves of said workpiece;
- rotating said workpiece 180.degree., and;
- sequentially electrochemically drilling a desired pattern of holes across a desired portion of said workpiece, such that the successive sequences of said hole patterns are formed in alternate halves of said workpiece;
- wherein
- said pattern of holes drilled prior to the rotation of said workpiece is formed with an end portion which lies adjacent an opposite end portion of said pattern of holes drilled subsequent to said rotation of the workpiece.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.