An Experimental Study of Electrochemical Spark Drilling (ECSD)

Electrochemical spark machining (ECSM) is an emerging hybrid machining process, which is used in the current scenario to machine non-conductive advanced engineering materials which is difficult to machine by conventional machining processes as well as by advanced machining processes due to restriction on electrical conductivity. Electrochemical Spark drilling has combined effect of electric discharge machining (EDM) and electrochemical machining (ECM). Basically electrochemical spark drilling is an appropriate machining process for making holes in non-conductive materials with significant improvement in final machining and productivity as compared to the electro discharge machining and electrochemical machining processes. In ECSM process, individual limitations of both machining processes are restricted while improving their individual advantages. The present work focuses experimental study of Electrochemical spark drilling process. This paper also depicts mechanism of ECSM process during machining of small holes.