Micro-dimple arrays play an important role in improving the performance and reliability of mechanical systems, and micro-dimples on the surfaces of piston rings and sliding bearings may reduce friction. Although many methods can be employed to create micro-dimples on cylindrical surfaces, it is still a challenge to generate micro-dimple arrays on cylindrical surfaces with high efficiency and low cost. In this paper, a patterned polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) mask with good flexibility is introduced as a mask in through-mask electrochemical micromachining (TMEMM) for generating micro-dimple arrays on a cylindrical surface, in which thousands of micro-dimples can be fabricated in tens of seconds. In addition, the reusability of the PDMS mask is experimentally verified. To enhance removal of the product, the use of a pulsed current is introduced into TMEMM of micro-dimples. The experimental results show that the pulse duty cycle plays a significant role in enhancing the removal of product and improving the uniformity of the micro-dimple arrays. And the effect was weakened with increasing pulse duty cycle. Compared with duty cycles of 40, 60, and 80%, the highest current efficiency with a duty cycle of 20% is obtained at a frequency of 10 kHz. Finally, micro-dimple arrays with a diameter of approximately 110.6 mu m and a depth of 11 pin are successfully generated on the cylindrical surface. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.