Time dependent behaviour of electro-chemical honing
by Abhay Dubey 
Abstract: Surface condition and shape deviations imparted by the final finish-manufacturing processes have a pronounced influence on the functional performance of engineering components. This paper highlights the results of a comprehensive study on time dependent behaviour of the unique precision micro-finishing technology: the electro-chemical honing (ECH) process. Processing time dependant improvement patterns of surface micro- and part macro-geometrical performance characteristics and material removal rate in ECH have been explored. Results analysed using ANOVA, Duncan’s multiple range test and polynomial regression reveal some very interesting facts that can be highly valuable for process control perspective. Major improvements in Ra, Rmax, out-of-roundness and cylindricity are realized during first few ECH cycles, followed by diminishing quadratic patterns. Work-bore axis-straightness improves very rapidly with insignificant subsequent improvements. The diametral increase rate is found to remain constant within the range of processing time investigated.
Keywords: electro-chemical honing; processing time; ANOVA; Duncan's multiple range test; micro-finishing; functional performance.