Electrochemical Drilling (ECD)
Posted on 11-03-2010Electrochemical Drilling (ECD) is an electrochemical machining technique used to manufacture, for example, cooling channels in products which can be characterised by the large length/diameter relation, where lengths of up to 800mm are not uncommon. As tool electrode a hollow tubular cathode is used. The cathode can be made of titanium having an insulating exterior coating, but also tubes made of glass are used.
The salt solutions commonly used in electrochemical machining can not be used in electrochemical drilling because the sludge produced in the process would make it impossible to manufacture holes with large length/diameter ratio. To ensure that the metal ions produced in the process stay soluble in the electrolyte, in electrochemical drilling acids (nitric acid, sulphuric acid) are used as electrolyte.
Tags: ECD, Electrochemical Drilling