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Chemical Milling
Produces shallow cavities on a work piece, usually to reduce weight
The area affected by the chemical reagent is controlled by masking or by partial immersion

Procedure:
1. Relieve residual stresses to prevent warping
2. Clean the material surface
3. Apply masking material
4. Remove the masking on regions that require etching
5. Apply the reagents
6. Wash the part
7. Remove remaining masking
8. Additional finishing or chemical milling procedures may be used

Chemicals are used to dissolve material
Masks are used to control attack
Most common use is circuit boards and plates for printing (Sunday comics and rotogravure)
Cutting speed of 0.0025-0.1 mm/minute very slow

Electrochemical Machining
Combines chemical attack and electrical attack
High material removal rate
Masking is used to control attack
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Conforming electrodes are to control shape
Commonly used for aircraft parts such as airfoil shapes
Normally followed by abrasive finishing or laser peening to remove partially adhering particles
Works with a wide variety of metals

Design Considerations:
- The electrolyte erodes away sharp profiles
- It is difficult to control electrolyte flow; irregular cavities may not be formed accurately
- Allow for small taper in holes made this way
Electrical-Discharge Machining
Uses a shaped electrode and electric sparks to remove metal; discharges sparks at about 50-500 kHz
A dielectric (nonconductive) fluid removes debris and acts as an insulator until the potential difference is
high enough
Can be used on any material that conducts electricity
Successive electric arcs melt tiny droplets from surface of work piece
Frozen droplets must be flushed away
Electrodes are made from graphite, copper or copper-tungsten alloy
Material removed from electrode by arc
Recast layer of approximately 0.001 in depth left on surface
Secondary process such as chemical machining used to remove recast layer

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Design Considerations:
- Design parts so that the electrodes can be made economically
- Avoid deep slots and narrow openings
- Do not require very fine surface finish
- Most of the material removal should be done by other processes to speed production
Laser-Beam Machining
Uses a concentrated beam of light to vaporize part of the work piece
Usually produces a rough surface with a heat-affected zone
Can cut holes as small as .005 mm with depth/diameter ratios of 50:1
Design Considerations:
- Non-reflective work piece surfaces are preferable
- Sharp corners are difficult to produce; deep cuts produce tapers
- Consider the effects of high temperature on the work piece material

Direct laser beam against surface of work piece, as in laser welding
Successive pulses from laser gun vaporize tiny bits of work piece
Location of laser beam controlled by computer
Work piece need not be conductive
Cuts are tapered
Gotta trap overshoot from laser beam
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Plasma Arc Cutting
Uses plasma (ionized gas) to rapidly vaporize material
Material removal rates are much higher than those for laser beam machining and electron beam machining;
produces good surface finish and thin cut width

Plasma is a stream of ionized gas
Typical temperatures are very high
Same process as plasma welding, without filler metal
Torch movement controlled by computer
Power requirements depend on material being cut, plus depth of cut
Recast layer is deeper than with other processes
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Water Jet Machining
A pressurized jet of water cuts a groove in the material
Effective for many nonmetallic materials
Cuts can be started at any location; does not produce heat; produces very little burring

Ultrasonic Machining
Abrasive slurry flows over top of work piece (loose particles)
Cutting tool vibrated by ultrasonic energy
Abrasive particles between tool and work piece do the machining
Works well with hard, brittle work pieces
Economics of Advanced Machining Processes
High cost of equipment, which typically includes computer control
May use hard tooling, soft tooling, or both
Low production rates
Can be used with difficult-to-machine materials
Highly repeatable
Typically requires highly skilled operators