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How does electrical-discharge machining remove material through a liquid medium?
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Drill press.
In electrical-discharge machining (EDM), material is removed through a process of controlled erosion. Both the tool—which acts as an electrode—and the workpiece are submerged in a dielectric liquid.
A feed mechanism maintains a precise spark gap between the electrode and the workpiece, typically ranging from 0.0005 to 0.020 inch. High-frequency electrical spark discharges are then directed from the tool to the workpiece. These sparks melt or vaporize small particles of the conductive material. As the electrode advances, the dielectric liquid flushes these particles away, allowing for the creation of complex shapes, cavities, and holes in hard materials like steel or carbide.1