Integrated Development of a Modularized ECM Manufacturing System based on the Reconfigurable Manufacturing System Concept

An electrochemical machining (ECM) manufacturing system with a reconfigurable manufacturing system (RMS) is proposed for machining materials with high hardness and with unique contours or specific edge geometries that are normally unobtainable by conventional machining methods. In the manufacturing industry, ECM systems must usually be custom designed to meet customer needs. An RMS reduces engineering time and production costs by enabling rapid and cost-effective conversion of manufacturing machines, systems, and controls in response to the market changes or customer demands. This study proposes a design method for constructing a hierarchical structure control module for synchronously reconfiguring controls and machining characteristics in a reconfigurable machine tool.