BlueArc ™ Machining - A High Speed Roughing for Aerospace Alloys

BlueArc™ is a High Speed Electro Erosion (HSEE) process that was developed to rough cut high strength aerospace alloys.  Fundamentally, BlueArc™ is a controlled thermal removal process driven by an electrical potential between a tool electrode and a workpiece. Thermal events are more intense and widespread than conventional EDM processes and are controlled by the applied potential and current, the electrolyte, and the distance between the tool electrode and workpiece.  Each thermal event erodes some of the workpiece resulting in bulk material removal.  Under most conditions the contact forces between the electrode and the workpiece surfaces are negligible enabling the use of slender electrodes or light duty machines.  End milling, peripheral machining, and shaped electrode profile machining have been studied.  Machining results will be shared for nickel based superalloy and titanium alloy rough machining.  In each case material removal rates 2-3 times the conventional analog for similar size tooling was achieved.  BlueArc™ is a versatile rough machining process that can have high material removal rate and significant tooling cost savings.