Investigation on process enhancement in abrasive-assisted rotary mode ECDM process

The exceptional hardness and intrinsic brittleness of quartz ceramics present significant microfabrication hurdles, frequently culminating in suboptimal surface integrity and diminished dimensional fidelity in the Electrochemical Discharge Machining (ECDM) process. Therefore, the investigation presented herein introduces an Abrasive-Assisted Rotary Mode ECDM (AA-RM-ECDM) process to overcome these limitations. A thermal simulation model was first developed in COMSOL Multiphysics to predict temperature distribution, molten zone geometry, and material removal rate. The simulated results were then validated experimentally by fabricating micro-holes under varying applied voltages, electrolyte concentrations, and tool feed rates. Comparative assessments between conventional ECDM, simulation predictions, and AA-RM-ECDM revealing that the hybrid process, synergizing abrasive action with tool rotation and dramatically improves machining performance. At the optimized condition (74 V, 28 g/L, 0.12 mm/min), AA-RM-ECDM produced micro-holes with maximum MRR and minimum overcut, closely matching simulation results. The results highlight the industrial applicability of AA-RM-ECDM in fabricating precision micro-features on hard and brittle non-conductive materials, making it an auspicious route for next-generation miniaturized devices in electronics, MEMS, and biomedical applications.