| Patent application number | Description | Published |
| 20080230378 | Methods and systems for forming tapered cooling holes - A method for forming holes in an object is provided. The method includes providing an electrochemical machining (ECM) electrode including a first section having insulation that circumscribes the first section, and a second section having insulation that extends only partially around the second section. The method also includes inserting the electrode into the object, such that in a single pass the electrode forms a hole that includes a first portion having a first cross-sectional area and a second portion having a second cross-sectional area. | 09-25-2008 |
| 20080230379 | Methods and systems for forming cooling holes having circular inlets and non-circular outlets - A method for forming a hole in an object is provided. The method includes forming a starter hole in the object, providing an electrochemical machining electrode that includes insulation that extends only partially around the electrode, and inserting the electrode into the starter hole to form a hole in the object that has an inlet defined by a first cross-sectional area and an outlet defined by a second cross-sectional area. | 09-25-2008 |
| 20080230396 | Methods and systems for forming turbulated cooling holes - A method for forming holes in an object is provided. The method includes forming a starter hole in the object, providing an electrochemical machining electrode having at least one insulated section that substantially circumscribes the electrode and at least one uninsulated section, and inserting the electrode into the starter hole to facilitate forming a hole defined by at least one first section having a first cross-sectional area and at least one second section having a second cross-sectional area. | 09-25-2008 |
| 20080253922 | Method for roughening metal surfaces and article manufactured thereby - A method for surface roughening a metal work piece includes disposing the work piece proximate to a counter electrode. The work piece and the counter electrode are disposed in an electrolyte. An electric potential with current flow is applied between the work piece and the counter electrode to roughen the metal surface to a desired roughness. | 10-16-2008 |
| 20080264897 | Turbine component pattern forming method - A method of forming a pattern comprising a plurality of recesses within a turbine component is disclosed. The method includes simultaneously dissolving a plurality of portions of a selected section of the turbine component, thereby defining the plurality of recesses of the pattern. | 10-30-2008 |
| 20080277384 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR HYBRID MACHINING A WORKPIECE - An apparatus and method for hybrid machining a workpiece is disclosed. The apparatus includes a mandrel for supporting the workpiece adjacent a cutter mounted on an arbor. A workpiece is powered as an anode and the cutter is powered as a cathode, and a cutting fluid or coolant is circulated therebetween. The cutter is made of a conductive material and a non-conductive abrasive material to maximize the amount of material removed from the workpiece. The coolant includes one or more additives to enhance the electrical discharge between the cutter and the workpiece. The cutter is moved relative to the workpiece to remove material from the workpiece at a predetermined depth of cut using an enhanced high-speed electro-erosion (HSEE) process in which both HSEE and abrasive machining processes are used. The workpiece may then be finish machined to a final shape of the titanium article, such as a dovetail of a turbine blade. | 11-13-2008 |
| 20090020509 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR HYBRID MACHINING A CONTOURED, THIN-WALLED WORKPIECE - An apparatus and method for hybrid machining a workpiece is disclosed. The workpiece is powered as an anode, a cutter is powered as a cathode and a cutting fluid or coolant is circulated therebetween. The cutter is made of a conductive material and a non-conductive abrasive material. The hybrid machine performs a roughing pass machining operation in which material is removed from the workpiece at a relatively high rate using a high-speed electro-erosion (HSEE) process. Then, the hybrid machine performs a finish pass machining operation in which material is removed from the workpiece using precision electro-grinding (PEG) process at a different differential electrical potential and/or flushing rate than the roughing pass machining operation to provide a smooth finish without thermal effects on the workpiece. | 01-22-2009 |
| 20090277803 | METHOD AND TOOL FOR FORMING NON-CIRCULAR HOLES USING A SELECTIVELY COATED ELECTRODE - An electrochemical machining process for forming a non-circular hole from a substantially circular hole within a workpiece using an electrode. The electrode is made of an electrically conductive material and has insulated areas in which the electrically conductive material is coated with an insulating material, and exposed areas of metal or conductive material. The insulated areas and exposed areas extending in rows substantially along a longitudinal axis of the electrode. The electrode is first positioned in a substantially circular hole. An electric current is then applied to the electrode to electrochemically remove a predetermined amount of material from the substantially circular hole to form a non-circular hole. A variety of different non-circular shapes are achievable using the process. | 11-12-2009 |
| 20090308760 | ELECTROCHEMICAL DISSOLUTION OF CONDUCTIVE COMPOSITES - A method and apparatus separates recoverable components ( | 12-17-2009 |
| 20100051588 | ELECTRO DISCHARGE MACHINING APPARATUS AND METHOD - An electro discharge machining apparatus comprises an electrode configured to machine a desired feature in a workpiece, a pulse generator configured to energize the electrode and the workpiece to opposite electrical polarities, a machining solution source configured to pass a machining solution between the electrode and the workpiece, and a servomotor configured to drive the electrode to move relative to the workpiece. The electro discharge machining apparatus further comprises at least one detection element configured to detect machining signals, and a controller. The controller controls the pulse generator and the servomotor to machine the workpiece according to a plurality of first process parameters predetermined therein and analyzes the detected machining signals to generate a first response signal to activate a plurality of second process parameters predetermined therein and different from the first process parameters to machine the workpiece. An electro discharge machining method is also presented. | 03-04-2010 |
| 20100078333 | ELECTROEROSION MACHINING SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ELECTRODE WEAR COMPENSATION - An electroerosion machining system comprises an electrode, a power supply, an electrolyte supply, an electroerosion controller connected to and monitoring the power supply, and a working apparatus configured to move the electrode relative to the workpiece. The electroerosion machining system further comprises a CNC controller configured to cooperate with the electroerosion controller to control the working apparatus, and to calculate a wear value of the electrode. Further, the CNC controller is configured to segment the toolpath of every layer into a plurality of segments, and to divide the compensation value for every layer to be machined into a plurality of value segments, and further to use the value segments to compensate for electrode wear along the respective toolpath segments during machining of the workpiece. An electroerosion machining method is also presented. | 04-01-2010 |
| 20100126877 | ELECTROCHEMICAL GRINDING ELECTRODE, AND APPARATUS AND METHOD USING THE SAME - An electrochemical grinding electrode comprises an electrically conductive material; an arc resistance material; and an abrasive material different from the arc resistance material. An electrochemical grinding apparatus and a method are also presented. | 05-27-2010 |
| 20110070096 | CURVED ELECTRODE AND ELECTROCHEMICAL MACHINING METHOD AND ASSEMBLY EMPLOYING THE SAME - An electrode for an electrochemical machining process is provided. The electrode comprises a curved, electrically conductive member, and an insulating coating covering at least a portion of a side surface of the curved, electrically conductive member. An electrochemical machining assembly is also provided for machining curved holes in a workpiece. The assembly includes at least one curved electrode and a power supply operatively connected to provide a pulsed voltage to the at least one curved electrode and to the workpiece. The assembly further includes a rotational driver operatively connected to move the at least one curved electrode along a curved path within the workpiece. The assembly is configured to remove material from the workpiece upon application of the pulsed voltage to the at least one curved electrode and to the workpiece. An electrochemical machining method is also provided for forming one or more curved holes in an electrically conductive workpiece. | 03-24-2011 |