Investigation on Enhancement in Photochemical Machining

Selection and/or Peer-review under responsibility of Materials Processing and characterization. Micro-machining techniques are generating considerable interest in manufacturing industries. Photochemical machining (PCM) is one of such techniques in which the material is etched with the help of etchant in the controlled corrosion process. Machining area is defined by application of photoresist layer over the material, which ensures the removal of desired area. This process is regarded as stress free machining in which no mechanical stress is imposed on the workpiece while machining. Achieving accuracy in the PCM process is one of the prime challenges to overcome. Material removal and accuracy of PCM process can be enhanced by selecting proper positioning of workpiece inside the etching tank and preparing accurate photo-tool. This paper investigates various modes of workpiece positioning and their effect on material removal mechanism and determines most suitable positioning of workpiece to enhance performance of PCM process. An attempt to attain accurate photo-tool has also been presented in this paper. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.