Design and optimization of cathode for ECM of high-speed steel roll material based on multi-physics field coupling analysis

High-speed steel (HSS) work rolls have good wear resistance, fatigue resistance, and oxidation resistance, and are widely used in the production of hot rolled strips. The excellent performance of HSS work rolls brings significant challenges to the conventional dressing (i.e., grinding). As a typical difficult-to-machine material, the electrochemical machining (ECM) of work rolls grade HSS is a promising alternative method for dressing. The design of cathode tools for ECM is affected by the multi-physical fields (i.e., electric field, flow field, and temperature field), which is the main factor determining the forming accuracy. However, cathode design for ECM has long been a time and cost-intensive process. To effectively solve the design problem of the cathode tool for ECM of HSS, this paper proposes a design and optimization method based on multi-physics coupling analysis. Subsequently, the ECM experiment of HSS was carried out to verify the accuracy of the optimization method. Experimental results show that coupling analysis based on multiple physical fields is an effective method for optimizing cathode tool design. This method can improve the design efficiency of the cathode tool in ECM and reduce the modification time of the cathode tool.