Electrochemical Honing of Cylindrical Parts-An Overview

Abstract

Electrochemical Honing (ECH) is one of the most potentially emerging unconventional machining processes. This is a hybrid machining process combining the capabilities of electrochemical machining (ECM) and conventional honing. Owing to its advantages of both the processes, ECH is capable of producing high surface finish, tolerance, controlled surface generation of cross-hatch lay pattern or completely stress free and correction of geometrical inaccuracies on cylindrical workpieces such as out-of roundness, cylindricity, axis distortion etc. with very high productivity as compared to conventional superfinishing processes. Surface finish of the order of 0.05µm and tolerance within ±0.002 can be obtained. This is well within the category of superfinishing. This paper presents a complete review of electrochemical honing of cylindrical parts including internal holes, internal and external surface of cylinders with the objective to highlight the capabilities of ECH process. The competence of ECH towards achieving superfinishing is mainly focused.