Developing a New Flow Cell for Electrochemical Machining Anodic Dissolution Investigations by Simulation-Based Design and 3D Printing

Electrochemical machining (ECM) is an essential non-traditional industrial shaping technology. An in-depth understanding of ECM anodic dissolution is fundamentally important for process parameter design and optimization. However, the existing electrochemical setups face challenges in achieving efficient analysis of these processes. In this work, a new flow cell has been developed via simulation-based design and 3D printing that demonstrates comprehensive advantages in terms of improved electric and flow conditions, measurement technique versatility, and production simplicity at low cost. Simulations are performed to reveal particular characteristics of the proposed cell in terms of physical distributions and to determine its key dimensions with high efficiency. The stereo lithography technique is used to realize the complex design and fabricate the proposed flow cell, thus ensuring ease of accessibility. Furthermore, the effectiveness of the developed cell is verified experimentally by examining the anodic behavior of typical metals in common ECM electrolytes, using Fe and SS304 stainless steel as examples. Test results show that information on the polarization behavior, current efficiency, anodic interface structure, and surface finish can be obtained conveniently and the results agree with previous findings, demonstrating the potential of the developed cell to perform high throughput tests to study ECM fundamentals.