Today, the production of precision parts is characterised by highly demanding specifications with regard to tolerances and surface quality. Innovative, advanced processes for deburring, surface finishing and shaping are making it possible to improve quality and productivity, as well as economic efficiency.
In addition to the actual manufacturing processes, more and more attention is being focused on intermediate and downstream processes such as deburring and surface finishing for the production of high-quality components. On the one hand, this is targeted at burr-free components and workpieces with defined edges and fillets or a surface finish which minimises friction, wear and noise, and increases performance and service life. On the other hand, manufacturing steps for precise shaping are required as well, and in this respect machining and surface finishing are converging to an ever greater extent. In order to master these challenges, innovative, advanced process are available which can be ideally matched to the task at hand with high levels of productivity and economic efficiency, and which deliver reliable, reproducible results.
Electrochemical Machining of Metallic Workpieces
In the case of electrochemical machining (ECM), which is used in the fields of aviation and aerospace, the automotive industry, toolmaking, medical technology, microsystems engineering, the energy industry and other sectors – for mass production as well – metals is anodically removed from the surface of the workpiece. This procedure makes deburring possible in difficult to access areas such as internal bore intersections and pockets, and also permits burr-free shaping processes.