PIERCING AND DEBURRING OF METAL PARTS USING ELECTRIC DISCHARGE BETWEEN ELECTROLYTE JET AND SOLID ELECTRODE

There are various methods of piercing. The authors suggest using the process of metal piercing with the help of electric discharge between the electrolyte jet and the solid electrode, or the processed part. The electric discharge between the electrolytic electrode and the processed part can be used both for piercing and for deburring, surface cleaning, metal cutting, and parts marking. To investigate the current-voltage characteristic, the dependence of discharge current on volume electrolyte velocity, and the dependence of current density between the electrolyte jet, the authors developed the portable hand-held tool of “gun” type. The study showed that the discharge between the electrolyte jet and the processed part strikes and burns at U=510–515 V. When the discharge changes to the electrolysis mode, the current increases in 1.5–2 times. With the increase of volume electrolyte velocity the discharge current grows. The study of the dependence of discharge current density between the electrolyte jet and metal anode on the discharge current showed that with the increase of current the density of current on the electrolytic electrode grows in a linear function. The analysis and synthesis of a large number of experimental data proved that the electrical discharge can be used for engineering purposes. Using the plasma of discharge with electrolyte jet it is possible to perform such operations as the tubes inner surfaces cleaning, metal piercing, metal cutting, deburring of parts edges, and product marking without changing the properties of the rest mass of a part.