Electrochemical machining

Among electrical machining processes, material removal by electrochemical machining (UEC), also known as Electro Chemical Machining (ECM), represents a special case: it is a "modern machining process", although it cannot be said to involve any new physical phenomena or entirely new techniques. ECM is based on material removal according to Faraday's laws, which have been known since the 19th century, and could theoretically have been used for a long time, but was introduced in the USA in the 1940s to machine materials used in aeronautics that could not be machined using cutting tools. In fact, ECM is carried out under conditions that are far removed from those in which the fundamental laws of electrolysis were found.

ECM is a process that has now reached industrial maturity, with numerous applications in the aerospace, automotive and other sectors. The main benefits of ECM are the machining of electrically conductive materials in all states of treatment, surface machining and deburring of hard-to-reach holes.

ECM is a high-performance machining method whose productivity potential is not always fully exploited by industry, i.e. its ability to shape materials that are difficult to machine, as well as its virtually indestructible tooling. This last point is virtually never taken into consideration, as tooling costs are generally spread over very long production times, unlike ECM, where they have to be taken into account right from the start of production.