摘要:
THE INVENTION RELATES TO AN ELECTROCHEMICAL GRINDING MACHINE OF THE TYPE HAVING (1) A DRIVING UNIT DRIVING A GRINDING DEVICE IN CONTACT WITH AN ELECTROCHEMICALLY ERODABLE WORKPIECES, SAID GRINDING DEVICE COMPRISING ELECTRICALLY NON-CONDUCTIVE, OR SUBSTANTIALLY NON-CONDUCTIVE, ABRASIVE GRAIN EMBEDDED IN AND PROJECTING FROM A ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE MATRIX, (2) MEASNS FOR SUPPLYING AN ELECTROLYTE TO THE ZONE (INTERSTICES BETWEEN THE ABRASIVE GRAINS) BETWEEN THE GRINDING DEVICE AND THE WORKPIECES AND (3) FIRST POTENTIAL SOURCE MEANS FOR SUPPLYING AN ELECTRICAL POTENTIAL BETWEEN SAID GRINDING DEVICE AND SAID WORKPIECE. ACCORDING TO THE INVENTION SUCH MACHINE IS FURTHER PROVIDED WITH (1) A CLEANING ELECTRODE FOR CLEANING SAID GRINDING DEVICE, (2) FURTHER POTENTIAL SOURCE MEANS FOR APPLYING AN ELECTRICAL POTENTIAL BETWEEN SAID CLEANING ELECRODE AND SAID GRINDIG DEVICE AND (3) A SENSING ELECTRODE AND CIRCUITRY THEREFOR TO ANALYZE AND CONTROL THE CONDITIONS ON THE GRINDING DEVICE. SAID CLEANING ELECTRODE IS SPACED FROM SAID WORKPIECE IN A DIRECTION PARALLEL TO THE WORKING FACE OF SAID GRINDING DEVICE AND IS SPACED FROM SAID GRINDING DEVICE IN A DIRECTION PERPENDICULAR TO THE WORKING FACE THEREOF. SAID LAST-NAMED POTENTIAL SOURCE MEANS IS RESPONSIVE TO THE CONDITIONS DETECTED BY THE SENSING ELECTRODE AND CIRCUITY THEREFOR TO CONTROL THE DURATION OF CURRENT FLOW FROM THE LAST-NAMED POTENTIAL SOURCE MEANS TO THE CLEANING ELECTODE. THE LAST-NAMED POTENTIAL SOURCE MEANS MAY BE OF EITHER FLUCTUATING OR INTERMITTENT NATURE AND OF EITHER CONSTANT OR ALTERNATING POLARITY. THE SPACING OG THE CLEANING ELECTRODE FROM THE GRINDING DEVICE, THE CONDUCTIVITY OF THE ELECTROLYTE, THE MAGNITUDE AND POLARITY OF SAID FURTHER POTENTIAL SOURCE MEANS EITHER STEADY OR PULSED, ARE ALL CHOSEN AND BALANCED TO EFFECT SUFFICIENT SPARKING BETWEEN SAID CLEANING ELECTRODE AND SAID GRINDING DEVICE TO KEEP SAID GRINDING DEVICE AT LEAST SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF WASTE MATERIAL WHICH CAN OTHEREWISE ACCUMULATE THEREON BUT WITHOUT APPRECIABLY ERODING SAID GRINDING DEVICE. WHERE A DEPLATING MODE OF CLEANING IS PREFERRED, APPROPRIATE PARAMESTERS ARE SELECTED TO THE EFFECT THE DESIRED DEPLATING BUT WITHOUT EXCESSIVELY EXPOSING THE ABRASIVE GRAIN.