Intervening variables in electrochemical machining

This work shows a study of the intervening variables in electrochemical machining (ECM) of SAE-XEV-F Valve-Steel. A prototype developed at the Federal University of Uberlândia was used. The material removal rate (MRR), roughness and over-cut were studied. Four parameters were changed during the experiments: feed rate, electrolyte, flow rate of the electrolyte and voltage. Forty-eight experiments were carried out in the equipment developed. Two electrolytic solutions were used: sodium chloride (NaCl) and sodium nitrate (NaNO3). The results show that feed rate was the main parameter affecting the material removal rate. The electrochemical machining with nitride sodium presented the best results of surface roughness and over-cut.