Surface Finishing of High Speed Print Bands: I. A Prototype Tool for Electrochemical Microfinishing and Character Rounding of Print Bands

Abstract

A prototype tool is described for electrochemical surface finishing of an anodic workpiece in strip form, such as the stainless steel print bands used in high speed printers. The tool consists of two units, an electropolishing unit for microf inishing of print bands, and a directional electroetching assembly to provide rounding of characters in the print band. The prototype tool is completely automated and has provisions for rinsing and drying of the mounted print band. Buffed and unbuffed print band samples were used for process development and feasibility testing of the tool. Results demonstrated that the described electrolytic process yields reproducible mirror-finished print band surfaces with desired leading and trailing edges of characters. The process is applicable either as a complement to traditional buffing to give a final microfinish to print bands, or it can replace the presently used buffing technique for character rounding and surface finishing.* Electrochemical Society Active Member. * * Electrochemical Society Fellow.

Micromachining: An overview (Part I)

“…Many researchers have worked in this direction and reported that an increase or decrease in current density increases or decreases MRR. Datta et al 68, 69 used a beam of laser with ECMM to enhance MRR and machining accuracy. Laser beam increases the electrolyte temperature and hence its electrical conductivity as well as electrolyte flows velocity in the IEG increases.…”

“…To give proper finish, various microfeatures present on a component after machining such as uneven and sharp edges, rough surfaces, and microburrs have to be removed. Datta et al 69 finished high-speed print bands using EC finishing. They made stainless steel print bands in strip form as anode.…”

Microfabrication by High Rate Anodic Dissolution: Fundamentals and Applications

“…Feasibility of EMM in the fabrication of a variety of microelectronic components has been demonstrated. They involved the application of maskless and through-mask EMM for components such as print bands for high-speed printers (20), injet nozzle plates (21), metal masks for screening and evaporation (17), copper lines for printed-circuit boards (3), slider suspension for magnetic recording (19), cone connectors for pad-on-pad connector contacts (22), and flip-chip C4 interconnects (23,24). In the following, some examples of the application of through-mask EMM are presented.…”

Surface Finishing of High Speed Print Bands: I. A Prototype Tool for Electrochemical Microfinishing and Character Rounding of Print Bands

“…This technique gave a higher degree of character rounding. 2 Experimental results on character rounding and microfinishing obtained by different techniques described above are given in Table I and Fig. 8.…”