Electro-Chemical Machining

Electrochemical Machining is a non-traditional machining process which is used to machine difficult-to-machine materials such as super alloys, Ti-alloys, stainless steel etc. The basic working principle is based on Faraday law of electrolysis due to which the material removal takes place atom by atom by the process of electrolysis. Electro-Chemical Machining (ECM) is the generic term for a variety of electrochemical processes. ECM is used to machine work pieces from metal and metal alloys irrespective of their hardness, strength or thermal properties, through the anodic construction, medical equipment, micro-systems and power supply industries. The Electro Chemical Machining is extremely suitable for machining of materials used in extreme conditions. General overview of the Electro-Chemical Machining and its application for different materials used in extreme conditions is presented. Jet electrochemical machining (JECM) process can be used to machine conductive materials but there is a stray machining effect which leads to reduce the effectiveness of machining. To eliminate this problem, a hybrid laser-assisted jet electrochemical machine (LA-JECM) has been fabricated and utilized for experimental investigation.