DIPLOMA ENGINEERING 11th- 12th

All Branch All Branch Science

MHT-CET | JEE | NEET
All Subjects All Subjects
For Online Classes, Download the App. “Vineet Tutorials” From Playstore
ic Science Contact For Enquiry:- 7721920707, 7507378196

UNIT : 5
Non-Traditional Machining Process

❖ Introduction :
• Non-conventional machining is a special type of machining where the tool does not
directly touch to the workpiece. Instead of different forms of energy like mechanical,
electrical, or chemical are used to remove unwanted material.
• It is also known as non-traditional or non-conventional machining.

❖ Need For Non-traditional Machining Processes :

• Complex shapes which are difficult to machine by traditional methods and so much
time consuming so that not traditional machining process are used.
• To get high accuracy and better surface finish.
• Sometimes workpiece are made up of very hard material so it is very difficult to
machine these workpiece by traditional method so that non-traditional machining
process are the best option.
• No contact between tool and workpiece so that no wear and tear problem.
• Thin sheets or fragile parts may deform or break easily so non-traditional machining
process are used for such a type of materials.
• For advance technology non-traditional machining process are the better option.
➢ Applications of Non-Traditional machining processes :-
• Non-traditional machining is used for cutting complex shapes that are hard to make
with regular methods and take too much time.
• Besides complexity of the surface, high accuracy to be desired..
• For hard ad brittle materials.
• They do not completely replace traditional machining but are used to support and
improve the process.

➢ Classification of Non-traditional machining processes :

1. Based on the Type of Energy used:
• Mechanical energy based e.g., Abrasive jet Machining. Water jet Machining.
• Electrical energy based e.g., electrical discharge machining.
• Electrochemical energy based e.g., electrochemical machining.
• Thermo electrical (electro thermal) energy based -e.g., plasma are machining.
2. Based on Source of Energy :
• Current
• Voltage
• Hydraulic pressure
• Pneumatic pressure
• Ionized particles light

3. Based on medium of energy transfer :

• Electrons
• Atmosphere
• tons
• Electrolytes
• Water
• Pressurized gas
• Ultrasonic waves
• Plasma
• Laser
• Chemical reagent
• Radition

4. Based on mechanism of material removal :

• Erosion
• Electric
• Shear
• Chemical etching
• Vaporization
• Melting
• lon displacement
• Blasting.

➢ Disadvantages of Conventional Processes :

1. Less Accuracy: Not as precise or consistent as CNC machines.
2. Human Errors: Manual control can lead to mistakes.
3. High Tool Wear: Tools wear out quickly, increasing maintenance costs.
4. Heat Issues: Heat generated may not be removed properly.
5. Internal Stresses: Can cause material stress, leading to defects.
6. Difficult for Complex Shapes: Hard to machine intricate designs.
7. Design Limitations: Frequent changes are difficult to implement.
8. Requires Skilled Workers: Operators need proper training to use machines.

➢ Factors Considered for Processes Selection :

• When choosing a machining process, we need to think about a few important things to
make sure the job is done well, quickly, and at a good cost.
• Material Properties : We need to check how hard or soft the material is, and how easy
it is to cut. Hard materials need special tools and cutting settings.
• Part Shape : If the part has a simple shape, it’s easier to machine. But if the shape is
complex, we might need more steps or special tools.
• Accuracy and Finish : If the part needs very tight measurements or a smooth surface,
we have to choose processes that can give that level of quality.
• Number of Parts : If we need to make many parts, we should use a fast process. If we
only need a few, we can use more flexible methods that take a bit longer.

Traditional Machining Non-traditional Machining

1. It involves the direct contact of tool 1. It does not require the direct
and work -piece contact of tool and work piece.

2. Material removes from the

2. Material removes from the
workpiece by melting,
workpiece in the form of chips
vaporisation or erosion.

3. Higher accuracy and surface

3. Lower accuracy and surface finish.
finish.

4. More cutting forces required. 4. No cutting forces required.

5. Tool life is less due to high surface

5. Tool life is more
contact and wear.

6. Example :- Turning, Drilling, 6. Example :- EDM, ECM, LBM,

Grinding USM
❖ Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) :-
• Electrical discharge machining
(EDM) is a non-traditional
machining process. It is work on the
principle of heat energy generated by
the spark and is used to remove the
material from the work piece.
• It is also known as spark machining.

➢ Construction Of Electrical discharge machining (EDM) :

• It mainly consist of two parts — a tool (also called an electrode) and a workpiece, both
made of electrically conductive material.
• Tool and workpiece are placed very close to each other but do not touch each other. The
gap between the tool and workpiece is known as spark gap.
• Both are connected to a power supply that creates high voltage.
• The workpiece is connected to the positive terminal, and the tool is connected to the
negative terminal.
• Very high temperature around 10,000 °C is generated in the spark region.
• The whole setup is placed in a tank filled with a special liquid called dielectric fluid.

➢ Working Of Electrical discharge machining (EDM) :

• The working of Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) is based on making tiny
electric sparks to remove metal from a workpiece.

• Tool and metal workpiece are placed close to each other but they don’t touch.

• When electricity is passed, then thousands of sparks are produced, so very high
temperature around 10,000 °C generated in the spark region. As a result the material
gets melted and vaporised from the work piece.

• The dielectric fluid cools down the area and washes away the melted metal.

• The tool slowly moves closer as the metal is removed, helping to shape the workpiece
exactly.

• This process is good for making hard or complex shapes where normal cutting tools
don’t work well.

➢ Process Parameters in EDM :

• Voltage: 40 to 300V
• Current: 0.5 to 400 A
• Spark gap: 0.0125 to 0.125 mm
• Spark interval: 10 to 30 micro seconds.
• Pulse duration: 2 to 2000 microseconds
• MRR: 800 cubic mm - 5000 cubic mm.

➢ Advantages Of Electrical discharge machining (EDM) :

1. Cuts very hard metals that traditional machines can't handle.

2. No contact between tool and workpiece, so no pressure is applied.

3. Can easily create small, complex, or detailed shapes.

4. Provides high accuracy and precise cuts.

5. Produces smooth and clean surface finishes.

6. Suitable for machining soft, thin, or delicate parts.

➢ Disadvantages Of Electrical discharge machining (EDM) :

1. Works only on electrically conductive materials.

2. Material removal is slower than conventional methods.

3. Consumes a lot of electrical power during operation.

4. Cannot produce very sharp internal corners.

5. May cause minor surface damage due to heat and micro-cracks.

6. High initial cost of EDM machines.

➢ Applications of Electrical discharge machining (EDM) :

1. Used to make complex dies and molds.

2. Helps in machining hard materials like carbides and titanium.

3. Used for drilling fine holes in turbine blades and fuel injectors.

4. Used in aerospace, automotive, and medical industries.

5. Helpful in tool and die manufacturing.

6. Used to create fine features in electronic components.

7. Suitable for machining delicate or thin parts without damage.

8. Ideal for making intricate cavities.

❖ Ultrasonic Machining (USM) :

• Ultrasonic machining is a method used to cut
hard and brittle materials like glass and
ceramics.

• It works on the principle of ultrasonic

welding, In which ultrasonic views produce
high frequency force in the form of vibrating
waves.
• A tool vibrates very fast at ultrasonic speed and, with the help of tiny hard particles in
a liquid (abrasive slurry), slowly removes material from the surface.

➢ Construction Of Ultrasonic Machining (USM) :

• The construction of Ultrasonic Machining (USM) is simple to understand.

• It has a tool that shapes the material. This tool is attached to a part called a horn or
concentrator, which helps in passing vibrations.

• These vibrations are made by a transducer, usually using electricity to create

high-speed movements. The tool and the horn are held by a tool holder.

• Below the tool, we have the workpiece which is fixed properly.

• A special liquid with tiny sharp particles (called abrasive slurry) flows between the
tool and the workpiece to help remove material.

• Silicon carbide, aluminium oxide, boron carbide are used as abrasive particles in the
slurry

• All these parts work together to cut hard and brittle materials gently and accurately.

➢ Working Of Ultrasonic Machining (USM) :

• First the low frequency electric current passes through the electric supply.
• This low frequency electric current is converted into high frequency electric current
and then passes to the transducer.
• Transducer convert this high frequency electrical current to the high frequency
mechanical vibration and this vibration sent to the tool through horn.
• Tool vibrates very fast using sound waves that we cannot hear (ultrasonic).
• The tool does not touch the material directly but gets very close.
• A liquid with tiny sharp particles, called abrasive slurry, flows between the tool and
the material.
• When the tool vibrates, these small particles hit the surface of the material again and
again, slowly breaking and removing small particles of workpiece.
• In this way, the shape of the tool is copied onto the material.
• USM is used to make holes or shapes in hard & brittle materials like glass, ceramics,
and stones.

➢ Process Parameters in USM :

• Vibration frequency : 15 to 30 KHz.
• Vibration amplitude : 25 to 100 µm
• Gap : 0.02 to 0.1 mm
• Surface finish : 0.2 to 0.8 µm³
• MRR: 300 mm³/min

➢ Advantages of Ultrasonic machining :

1. Can cut hard and brittle materials like glass, ceramic, and diamonds easily.
2. No heat is produced, so the material does not get damaged by high temperatures.
3. No tool wear, because the tool doesn't directly touch the material.
4. Very precise – it can make fine and detailed shapes.
5. Good for delicate jobs, because it uses gentle vibrations instead of heavy force.
6. Can make tiny holes and shapes which are difficult with other methods.

➢ Disadvantages of Ultrasonic machining :

1. It takes more time compared to conventional machining.

2. Only suitable for hard and brittle materials.
3. Machines and setup are expensive.
4. Electrodes wear out over time and need replacement.
5. Not suitable for removing large amounts of material.
6. Difficult to machine very deep holes or cavities.

➢ Applications of Ultrasonic machining :

1. It is used to cut hard & breakable materials like glass, ceramic & stones.
2. It helps to make very small holes in hard materials.
3. It is good for making delicate shapes without breaking the part.
4. It is used for engraving designs on glass and cutting fine shapes.
5. It is used to make tiny parts for medical tools and electronics.
6. It is also used in airplanes and defense machines for making strong and accurate parts.

❖ Electrochemical Machining (ECM) :

• Electrochemical machining (ECM) is a method of removing metal by an
electrochemical process.
• It works on Faraday’s law of electrolysis.
• The law state that the ‘‘mass of metal removed from the workpiece is directly
proportional to quantity of electric supply’’.
• It is normally used for mass production and for working extremely hard materials, or
materials that are difficult to machine using conventional methods.

➢ Construction Of ECM :
• Electrochemical Machining (ECM) setup has a few important parts. The main parts
are the tool, workpiece, electrolyte pump, power supply, and a tank.

• The tool is made up of metal and shaped like the part we want to make it, becomes
cathode & the workpiece becomes anode.

• A special liquid called an electrolyte usually saltwater is stored in a tank and is

pumped between the tool and the workpiece.
• A DC power supply is connected such as positive terminal is connected to workpiece
and negative terminal is connected to tool

• The tool and the workpiece are placed very close to each other, but they never touch.
The gap between the tool and workpiece is near about 0.5 mm.

➢ Working Of ECM :-

➢ Working Of ECM :

• In Electrochemical Machining, metal is removed using electricity and a special liquid

called as electrolyte.

• A salty liquid (electrolyte) flows between tool and workpiece.

• When we pass electric current through this setup, the metal slowly dissolves from the
workpiece without touching the tool.

• The tool never touches the metal it just helps to guide the shape, which is controlled
by servo motor.

• Due to this electrochemical reaction metal removes from the workpiece due to
electrolysis.

• The amount of material removed from the workpiece is depend on quantity of electric
current passing to the tool.

• The removed metal is carried away by the electrolyte.

➢ Process Parameters in ECM :
• Voltage : 4 to 30V
• Current : 50 to 40000 A
• MRR : 1600 mm³ /min
• Surface finish : 0.05 - 2.5 mm
• Gap : 0.025 to 0.75 mm.

➢ Advantages of ECM :
1. The tool does not touch the workpiece, so it doesn’t get worn out.
2. ECM can easily cut very hard metals like titanium or superalloys.
3. It gives a very clean and smooth surface after machining.
4. Since there is no friction so no heat is produced.
5. It can create complicated and detailed shapes that are hard to make with traditional
methods.
6. No mechanical stress setup.

➢ Disadvantages of ECM :
1. The equipment and setup are expensive.
2. ECM can only machine materials that can conduct electricity.
3. Not suitable for very small or simple tasks.
4. Careful handling and disposal of electrolyte is necessary.
5. Tool design is complex.
6. Power consumption is more.

➢ Applications of ECM :
1. Aerospace and aircraft parts – It is used to make turbine blades and other high-strength
parts.
2. Automobile industry – ECM is used to make gears, engine parts, and fuel system
components.
3. Medical tools – Used to make surgical tools and implants with smooth and precise
finishes.
4. Micro machining – ECM is good for making very small parts without damaging them.
5. Hard materials – Useful for machining very hard materials like titanium, Inconel, and
stainless steel.

❖ Laser Beam Machining (LBM) :

• Laser beam machining is a thermal machining process, Which works on the principle
of conversion of electrical energy into heat energy of flash lamp which is used to
remove the metal from the workpiece.

• LASER : it is the “Light Amplification By Stimulated Emission Of Radiation”.

➢ Construction Of LBM :
• It mainly includes a laser source, a focusing lens, and a workpiece holder. The laser
source creates a very strong and focused beam of light.
• This beam is passed through a lens, which makes the beam even more narrow and
powerful.
• The lens helps to focus the laser on a small spot on the workpiece.
• The workpiece is held in correct place using a holder or table.
• Sometimes mirrors are also used to guide the laser beam to the right spot.
• Cooling system such as nitrogen cooled or water-cooled system is provided to cool
ruby rod, For maximum efficiency.
• All this setup is placed inside a closed casing to keep it safe.
• The machine also has controls to adjust the laser power, focus, and movement.

➢ Working Of LBM :
• As the power supply on the capacitor bank is charged by high voltage energy which is
supplied to the flash tube.

• Flash tube flashes the white light and ‘Cr’ atoms & the Ruby Crystal absorbed this
energy and get excited.

• A high-energy laser beam is generated using a laser source or by a ruby rod.

• The laser beam is focused through a lens onto a small spot on the workpiece.

• The focused laser beam rapidly heats, melts, and even vaporizes the material at the
targeted spot.

• Since there is no physical contact between the tool and the workpiece, there is no tool
wear.

➢ Process Parameters in LBM :

• Voltage : 4500 V
• Pulse duration : 100 microseconds.
• MRR : 0.1mm³ /min
• Surface finish : 0.5 - 1.2 micron.

➢ Advantages Of LBM :
1. It can cut very hard and tough materials easily.
2. It gives very accurate and fine cuts.
3. Works on small, thin & delicate parts.
4. No tool wear because no physical tool is used.
5. Produces a clean and smooth surface finish.
6. No need for machining force.

➢ Disadvantages Of LBM :
1. Laser machines are expensive
2. Needs skilled operators
3. Not suitable for thick materials
4. It uses a lot of electricity to run.
5. Works on some metals and some non-metals, but not on all materials.
6. The laser generates heat which can affect the area around the cut.

➢ Applications Of LBM :
1. Used to drill small and precise holes in hard materials.
2. Perfect for cutting thin metals, plastics, and ceramics.
3. Helps in making detailed and complex shapes in electronics or jewellery.
4. Used for writing or marking names, logos, or serial numbers on products.
5. Used to make small tools or parts for medical devices.
6. Used to cut and shape special materials for aircraft parts.

❖ Rapid Prototyping (RP) :-

• Rapid Prototyping is defined as group of techniques used to quickly fabricate a scale

model of a part or assembly using three-dimensional computer aided design (CAD)
data.

• It is mostly used in product design and development to quickly make a sample or

prototype before making the final product. RP uses 3D printing and similar
technologies to build the object layer by layer using materials like plastic, resin, or
metal.

• This helps designers test their ideas, check the fit and function of parts, and make
improvements quickly.
➢ Need for Rapid Prototyping (RP) :
1. Quick Model: Makes a sample of the product fast.
2. Easy Testing: You can check size and fit early.
3. Find Mistakes Early: Helps catch and fix errors soon.
4. Faster Making: Speeds up product development.
5. Customer Feedback: Show real model to get opinions.
6. Saves Money: Reduces cost of fixing later.
7. Better Quality: Final product becomes more perfect.

➢ Methodology (Cycle) of Rapid Prototyping :

1. Idea or Design Creation :
• First, a design or model of the product is created using computer software (like CAD).
2. Conversion to STL Format :
• The CAD file is converted into STL (stereolithography) format, which breaks the
model into thin layers.
3. Layer Slicing :
• The STL file is sliced into many thin horizontal layers, which will be used by the RP
machine to build the model layer by layer.
4. Model Building :
• The RP machine builds the prototype one layer at a time using materials like plastic,
resin, or metal powder.
5. Post Processing :
• After printing, the prototype may need cleaning, curing, or other finishing processes
to improve its look and strength.
6. Testing and Evaluation :
• The final prototype is tested to check its design, fit, function, and performance.

➢ Advantages of Rapid Prototyping :

1. Rapid prototyping speeds up product development.

2. It helps to detect design errors early.
3. It reduces the cost of tools and molds.
4. It improves the design before mass production.
5. It allows customers to give useful feedback.
6. It makes design changes quick and easy.
7. It saves material and reduces waste.

➢ Disadvantages of Rapid Prototyping :

1. The machines and materials are expensive.
2. All materials cannot be used for prototyping.
3. Prototypes may not be as strong as final products.
4. Poor surface finish occurred.
5. Requires skilled operators and special software.
6. Prototypes may look good but not work like the real product.

❖ Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM)

➢ Introduction :
• CIM means using computers to control everything in a factory. It helps in designing,
making, and checking products.

• All machines and systems are connected to computers, so work happens faster and
with fewer mistakes.

• With CIM, computers help in planning, making parts, and managing materials. It
makes the work easier, better, and quicker in industries.
➢ Elements of CIM :

1. Design (CAD – Computer-Aided Design) : Computers are used to create and modify
product designs.

2. Planning (MRP – Material Requirement Planning) : Helps plan how much

material, time, and labour is needed.

3. Production Control : Monitors and manages the production process to keep it

running smoothly.

4. Quality Control : Uses computers and sensors to check if products meet quality
standards.

5. Inventory Management : Tracks raw materials, parts, and finished products using
computer systems.

6. Human-Machine Interface (HMI) : Screens and controls that allow workers to

interact with the machines.

7. Communication Systems : Connects all machines, computers, and departments for

smooth data flow.

8. Data Management : Stores and shares information like designs, orders, and reports.
➢ Advantages of CIM :

1. Improved customer service.

2. Improved quality.

3. Shorter time to market with new products.

4. Shorter flow time.

5. Shorter vendor lead time.

6. Reduced inventory levels.

7. Improved schedule performance.

8. Lower total cost.

➢ Disadvantages of CIM :

1. The system is more complicated.

2. Fewer jobs vacancy due to automation,

3. Proper training is necessary

4. High maintenance cost.

5. Technology changes fast, so it needs regular updates.