UNIT – 4 Conventional & Unconventional Machining Process

What is Unconventional Machining Process?

An unconventional machining process is a very special type of machining process

because in this process there is no direct contact between the tool and the
workpiece. In an unconventional machining process, a form of energy (such
as mechanical energy, electrical energy, chemical energy,
etc.) is used to remove unwanted material from a given workpiece. For supporting
the workpiece in these types of machining processes always fixtures are used.
It is also called a non-traditional machining process or non-conventional
machining process.

What is Conventional machining process?

1] Conventional Machining process is a machining process in which

the machining carry out with the traditional method means not using any advanced
method for the machining. Therefore this machining process is also called as
traditional machining process.
2] In this process the sharp point cutting tools are used for the machining purpose,
such as the taper tool in the lathe machine for tapering.
3] The cutting tool material is harder than the work-piece material & the cutting
tool is in directly contact with the workpiece hence more tool wear occurs.
4] The cutting tool is used against rotary or stationary work-piece for the material
removal.

Examples of conventional machining process:

Lathe machine
Milling machine
Vertical drilling machine
Grinding machine

Advantages of conventional machining process:

Different materials can machined.
Easy setup of the equipment’s.
Less capital cost.

Disadvantages / Limitations of conventional machining process:

Less surface finish.
They can’t machined complex shapes.
More tool wear.
Lower dimensional accuracy.
Noisy operation causes sound pollution.
Applications of conventional machining process:

Drilling holes in workpiece using drill machine.

Knurling, Turning, Facing operations on lathe machine.

Difference between traditional and non traditional machining process:

Conventional or Traditional machining Non conventional or Non traditional

A poor surface finish is obtained.
It can’t be used for small-size
machining.
The problem of tool wear, hence tool
life is less.
Less investment or capital cost.
Direct contact between tool and
workpiece.
It can’t make microholes.
machining
A better surface finish is obtained.
It can be used for small-size machining.
Here is problem of the tool wear,
therefore life of tool is more.
More capital or investment cost.
No direct contact between the tool and
workpiece.
It can make micro holes.

Advantages of unconventional machining process

1. It has good accuracy.
2. It provides a good surface.
3. Complex shapes can be made easily.
4. It has longer tool life.
5. The rate of metal removal is high.

Disadvantage of unconventional machining process

1. The cost of this process is high.
2. It requires skilled operators.
3. Its setup is difficult.

Grinding Machine:

Grinding is an abrasive machining process that uses a grinding wheel or abrasive

belt as the cutting tool.

It is commonly used to remove material from a workpiece, to produce a smooth

finish on the surface of the workpiece, or to remove burrs from the surface.

Grinding can be performed wet or dry, and can be performed on a variety of

materials, including metals, plastics, and ceramics.
Define Grinding Process
The grinding process is a material removal and surface generation process used to
shape and finish components made of metals and other materials.

The precision and surface finish obtained through grinding can be up to ten times
better than with either turning or milling.
Grinding employs an abrasive product, usually a rotating wheel brought into
controlled contact with a work surface.

The grinding wheel is composed of abrasive grains held together in a binder. These
abrasive grains act as cutting tools, removing tiny chips of material from the
workpiece. As these abrasive grains wear and become dull, the amount of material
removed per wheel revolution decreases.

The grinding wheel is then dressed, which is a process of removing the abrasive
grains from the wheel’s surface so that it will again cut cleanly. The wheel is then
reconditioned, which is a process of vitrifying the bonding material to make it
harder and stronger.

The workpiece is moved past the grinding wheel in a table-fed or centerless

grinding operation. The workpiece is moved past the grinding wheel either
manually or by power feed. The grinding wheel is composed of abrasive grains
held together in a binder. These abrasive grains act as cutting tools, removing tiny
chips of material from the workpiece.

Working Principle of Grinding Machines

Most grinding machines work by using an abrasive wheel to remove material from
the workpiece. The abrasive wheel is typically made of diamond or aluminum
oxide and is rotated at high speeds. The abrasive particles on the wheel are what
actually remove the material from the workpiece. There are different types of
grinding machines, each with its own unique set of wheels and abrasives. The most
common type of grinding machine is the surface grinder, which is used to remove
material from flat surfaces.

Another common type of grinding machine is the cylindrical grinder, which is used
to remove material from cylindrical surfaces.
The grinding process can be very precise and produce very smooth finishes.
However, it can also be very time-consuming and expensive, depending on the
type of grinding machine and the materials being used.

The Benefits of Grinding: Why It’s a Key Process in

Manufacturing and Metalworking
Grinding is a highly effective process that offers numerous advantages for a wide
range of industries. Some of the key benefits of grinding include:

 Improved surface finish: Grinding is an excellent way to achieve a smooth

and uniform surface finish, which is essential for many applications. The
process removes rough patches, burrs, and other imperfections, resulting
in a more polished and professional appearance.
 Enhanced dimensional accuracy: Grinding is a precise and controlled
process that can help improve dimensional accuracy and consistency. This
is particularly important for applications where tight tolerances are
required, such as in the aerospace, medical, and automotive industries.
 Increased productivity: Grinding can be a highly efficient process, allowing
for high volumes of material to be removed quickly and accurately. This can
help boost productivity and reduce manufacturing costs, making it a
popular choice for many industrial applications.
 Versatility: Grinding can be performed on a wide range of materials,
including metals, plastics, ceramics, and composites. This versatility makes
it a valuable process for a variety of industries, from aerospace and
automotive to electronics and medical devices.
 Environmental benefits: Grinding generates less waste than many other
manufacturing processes, making it a more environmentally friendly
choice. It also requires less energy than some other methods, reducing
carbon emissions and energy costs.

Grinding a highly effective process for many industrial applications. By removing

material quickly and accurately, improving surface finish and dimensional
accuracy, and reducing waste and energy use, grinding offers a range of advantages
that can help improve productivity, quality, and efficiency.

Applications Where Grinding is Commonly Used

Real-world examples of industries and applications where grinding is commonly
used to understand the importance of the process. Here are a few examples:

1. Automotive Industry: Grinding is commonly used in the automotive

industry for various applications such as grinding crankshafts, camshafts,
 and other engine parts. It is also used for finishing and polishing the surface
of car body panels.
2. Aerospace Industry: Grinding is an essential process in the aerospace
industry for producing precision parts such as turbine blades, fuel nozzles,
and landing gear components. The industry requires parts with high
dimensional accuracy and surface finish, which can be achieved through the
grinding process.
3. Medical Industry: Grinding is also used in the medical industry for
producing precision parts such as surgical instruments, dental tools, and
orthopedic implants. These parts require high accuracy and surface finish,
which can be achieved through grinding.
4. Tool and Die Industry: The tool and die industry extensively uses grinding
for sharpening and shaping cutting tools, punches, and dies. The process is
essential for producing high-precision components that require tight
tolerances and surface finish.
5. Construction Industry: Grinding is also used in the construction industry for
finishing concrete surfaces and removing excess materials such as paint,
adhesives, and coatings.

Abrasive Jet Machining (AJM)

Working Principle
The fundamental principle of Abrasive jet machining involves the use of a
high-speed stream of abrasive particles carried by a high-pressure gas or air
on the work surface through a nozzle. The metal is removed due to erosion
caused by the abrasive particles impacting the work surface at high
speed. With repeated impacts, small bits of material get loosened and a fresh
surface is exposed to the jet.
This process is mainly employed for such machining works which are
otherwise difficult, such as thin sections of hard metals and alloys, cutting of
material which is sensitive of heat damage, producing intricate holes,
deburring, etching, polishing etc.

Parts of Abrasive Jet machine

Following are the parts of abrasive jet machining:

1. Gas supply
2. Nozzle
3. Abrasive
4. Workpiece
5. Pressure regulator
6. Filters
7. Foot control valve
8. Holder
9. Hood

#1 Gas Supply

The filtered gas, supplied under a pressure of 2 to 8 kgf/cm to the mixing

chamber containing the abrasive powder and vibrating at 50 Hz entrains the
abrasive particles and is then passed into a connecting hose. This abrasive
and gas mixture emerges from a small nozzle mounted on a fixture at a high
velocity ranging from 150 to 300 m/min.

#2 Abrasive

Abrasive powder feed rate is controlled by the amplitude of vibration of the

mixing chamber. The gas flow and pressure is controlled by a pressure
regulator. To control the size and shape of the cut either the workpiece or the
nozzle is moved by cams, pantographs or other suitable mechanisms.

The abrasives generally used are silicon carbide, aluminium oxide, glass
powder or specially prepared sodium bicarbonate. The common particle sizes
vary from 10 microns to 50 microns. Smaller sizes are used for good surface
finish and precision work. While larger sizes are used for rapid removal rate.

In addition to the above abrasives, dolomite (calcium magnesium carbonate)

of 200 grit size is found suitable for light cleaning and etching. Glass beads of
diameter 0.30 to 0.60 mm are used for light polishing and deburring.
#3 Nozzle

Nozzles have a great degree of abrasion wear, they are made of hard
materials such as tungsten carbide or synthetic sapphire to reduce the wear
rate. Nozzles made of tungsten carbide have an average life of 8 to 12 hours.
While nozzles of sapphire last for about 300 hours of operation when used
with 27-micron abrasive powder. The gases used are nitrogen, carbon dioxide
or clean air.

#4 Workpiece

The metal removal rate depends upon the diameter of the nozzle, the
composition of the abrasive gas mixture, the hardness of abrasive particles
and that of work material, particle size, the velocity of jet and distance of the
workpiece from the jet. A typical material removal rate for abrasive jet
machining is 16 mm/min in cutting glass.

Working of Abrasive Jet Machining

A typical set-up for abrasive jet machining is shown in the figure. The abrasive
particles are held in a suitable holding device, like a tank and fed into the
mixing chamber. A regulator is incorporated in the line to control the flow of
abrasive particles compressed air or high-pressure gas is supplied to the
mixing chamber through a pipeline

This pipeline carries a pressure gauge and a regulator to control the gas flow
and its pressure. The mixing chamber, carrying the abrasive particles is
vibrated and the amplitude of these vibrations controls the flow of abrasive
particles.
These particles mic in the gas stream, travel further through a hose and finally
pass through the nozzle at a considerably high speed. This outgoing high-
speed stream of the mixture of gas and abrasive particles is known as
abrasive jet.

Applications
 The process finds application in cutting slots, thin sections, contouring,
drilling, for producing shallow crevices, deburring, and for producing
intricate shapes in hard and brittle materials.
 It is often used for cleaning and polishing of plastic, nylon and Teflon
components, the frosting of the interior surface of the glass tubes,
etching of markings on glass cylinders, etc.
 It is used for deburring, etching, and cleaning of brittle metals, alloys,
and non-metallic materials.
 Polishing of plastic, Nyon can be done easily.
 Drilling can be done easily.
 The fragile material can be easily machined.
Advantages of Abrasive Jet Machining
1. Ability to cut intricate hole shapes in materials of any hardness and
brittleness.
2. Ability to cut fragile and heat-sensitive materials without damage as no
heat is generated due to the passing of gas or air.
3. Normally inaccessible portions can be machined with fairly good
accuracy.
4. Low capital cost.
Disadvantage of Abrasive Jet Machining
The disadvantages of the process lie in the following:

1. The material removal rate is slow and its application is therefore limited.
2. Flaring can become large.
3. The machining accuracy is poor and the nozzle wear rate is high.
4. Additional cleaning of the work surface may occur as there is a
possibility of sticking abrasive grains in softer materials.
5. It is an expensive process.

Electric Discharge Machining

Electric discharge machining, also known as spark erosion, electro-
erosion or spark machining, is a process of metal removal based on the
 principle of erosion of metals by an interrupted electric spark discharge
between the electrode tool cathode and the working anode.
Fundamentally, the electric erosion effect is understood by the breakdown
of electrode material accompanying any form of electric discharge.

The discharge is usually through a gas, liquid, or in some cases, through

solids. A necessary condition for producing discharge is ionization of the
dielectric, i.e., splitting up of its molecules into ions and electrons.

The main components are the electric power supply, the dielectric medium,
the workpiece and the tool, and the servo control.

Working Principle of Electric Discharge

Machining
 The workpiece and the tool are electrically connected to dc electric
power. The workpiece is connected to the +ve terminal. It becomes the
anode. The tool is the cathode.
 A gap, known as the ‘spark gap’ in the ranges of 0.005 to 0.05 mm is
maintained between the workpiece and the tool.
 When a suitable voltage in the range of 50 to 450 V is applied, the
dielectric breaks down and electrons are emitted from the cathode, and
the gap is ionized.
 In fact, a small ionized fluid column is formed owing to the formation of
an avalanche of electrons in the spark gap where the process of
ionization collision takes place.
  When more electrons collect in the gap the resistance drops, causing
the electric spark to jump between the workpiece and the tool.
 Each electric discharge causes a stream of electrons to move with a
high velocity and acceleration from the cathode towards the anode and
creates compression shock waves on both electrode surface.
 The formation of compression shock waves produces a rise in
temperature. However, the temperature of the spot hit by the electrons
is of the order of 10,000 °C.
 The forces of electric and magnetic fields caused by the spark produce
a tensile force and tear off particles of molten and softened metal from
this spot on the workpiece.
A part of the metal may vaporize and fill up the gap. The metal is thus
removed in this way from the workpiece. The electric and magnetic fields on
the heated metal cause a compressive force to act on the cathodic tool so that
metal removal from the tool is slower than that from the workpiece.