A Review on Machining Non-Conducting Ceramics through Electrochemical Discharge Machining (ECDM)

In present times, the industry is trying to replace metals with other suitable materials to get specific properties like equivalent or higher working limits in strength, hardness, heat resistance, creep resistance, etc., per given area. Ceramics offer improved qualities like high thermal and wear resistance, better hardness, creep resistance, great chemical inertness, high compression strength, etc. Ceramics have a large area of application in the aerospace industry, scientific research, nuclear work, automobile industry. In spite of this fact, industries are able to use ceramics only in few applications, since they are difficult to machine by traditional machining methods. They can be machined by non-traditional methods like ultrasonic machining, abrasive jet machining and electrochemical discharge machining (ECDM). During machining of ceramic material, certain parameters like applied voltage, electrolyte concentration, and feed rates need to be optimized to achieve the desired results and efficiency. To achieve these optimum values, Taguchi’s orthogonal arrays and some regression methods are used.