Method and apparatus for polishing metal parts with complex geometries

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017144239-A1
Application number	US-201514952370-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 25, 2015
Priority date	Nov 25, 2015
Publication date	May 25, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

The polishing system includes a power supply. The polishing system also includes a container including an interior portion. The interior portion includes a conductive material thereon. The conductive material is electrically coupled to the power supply. The polishing system also includes an electrolytic solution disposed within the container. The electrolytic solution includes a plurality of abrasive particles. The polishing system further includes a flexible media disposed within the container. The container is configured to contain an object. The power supply configured to electrically couple to the object. Each of the electrolytic solution, the flexible media, and the abrasive particles is configured to partially polish the object substantially simultaneously.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A polishing system comprising:
a power supply; a container comprising an interior portion comprising a conductive material thereon, said conductive material electrically coupled to said power supply; an electrolytic solution disposed within said container and comprising a plurality of abrasive particles; and a flexible media disposed within said container, wherein said container is configured to contain an object, said power supply configured to electrically couple to the object, each of said electrolytic solution, said flexible media, and said abrasive particles configured to partially polish the object substantially simultaneously.

2 . The polishing system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said flexible media comprise copper chips.

3 . The polishing system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said abrasive particles comprise aluminum oxide particles.

4 . The polishing system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said abrasive particles comprise diamond powder.

5 . The polishing system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said power supply comprises a battery.

6 . The polishing system in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a vibrator coupled to said container.

7 . The polishing system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said electrolytic solution comprise a solution of sodium nitrate.

8 . The polishing system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said vibrator is configured to vibrate at a frequency of vibration within a range from about 10 Hz to about 100 Hz.

9 . The polishing system in accordance with claim 6 further comprising an isolation mesh disposed within said container, said isolation mesh sized to isolate said flexible media and said abrasive particles from said conductive material.

10 . The polishing system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said power supply comprise a current modulator.

11 . A method for polishing objects, said method comprising:
disposing an electrolytic solution within a container, the electrolytic solution including a plurality of abrasive particles; immersing an object in the electrolytic solution disposed within the container, wherein the container includes a flexible media and an isolation mesh disposed therein; coupling the object and at least a portion of the container to an electric power supply; transmitting an electric current through the object and the at least a portion of the container; and vibrating the container and the flexible media for a predetermined period of time.

12 . The method in accordance with claim 11 , wherein vibrating the container and flexible media comprises impacting the object with copper chips.

13 . The method in accordance with claim 11 , wherein disposing an electrolytic solution within a container comprises disposing the electrolytic solution including aluminum oxide particles within the container.

14 . The method in accordance with claim 11 , wherein disposing an electrolytic solution within a container comprises disposing the electrolytic solution including diamond powder within the container.

15 . The method in accordance with claim 11 , wherein immersing an object in the electrolytic solution comprises immersing a metal part in the electrolytic solution.

16 . The method in accordance with claim 11 , wherein vibrating the container comprises vibrating the container at a frequency within a range from and including vibration of about 10 Hz to and including about 100 Hz.

17 . The method in accordance with claim 11 , wherein disposing an electrolytic solution within a container comprises disposing a solution of sodium nitrate in a container.

18 . The method in accordance with claim 11 , wherein immersing an object in the electrolytic solution disposed within the container comprises immersing a wire mesh in the electrolytic solution disposed within the container.

19 . The method in accordance with claim 11 , wherein coupling the object and at least a portion of the container to an electric power supply comprises coupling the object and at least a portion of the container to a battery.

20 . The method in accordance with claim 11 , wherein coupling the object and at least a portion of the container to an electric power supply comprises coupling the object and at least a portion of the container to an electric power supply and a current modulator.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Luo Yuanfeng
• Hayashi Steven Robert
• Makinde Adegboyega Masud
• Trimmer Andrew Lee

Classifications

• B23H9/10

  Working turbine blades or nozzles · CPC title

• B23H5/08 Primary

  Electrolytic grinding · CPC title

• C25F3/16

  Polishing · CPC title

• C25F7/00

  Constructional parts, or assemblies thereof, of cells for electrolytic removal of material from objects (for both electrolytic coating and removal C25D); Servicing or operating · CPC title

• B24B31/06

  involving oscillating or vibrating containers · CPC title