Prospects of combining electro-erosive and electrochemical processes in forming the holes of a small diameter in difficult-to-process materials

Implementation of modern methods in forming the surfaces of a small geometrical size in materials difficult to process allows putting into practice new technical solutions to designing different objects. Most technologies are based on using electro-physical methods of processing. The combination of processes with various physical nature in one method is considered to be perspective. So, the use of erosive and electrochemical processing to pierce the holes of small diameter is suggested. It is determined experimentally that the implementation of electro-erosive discharges in the inter-electrode gap during electrochemical piercing of the hole in stainless steel 12H18N10T by a hollow cathode, which is a tool having the external diameter of 0.46 mm, allowed increasing the piercing speed by 3.7 times compared to electrochemical processing. As a result, the hole taper reduced from 4.3° to 2.5° and the accuracy of duplicating the cathode increased. It was assumed that the further increase in the accuracy of forming the holes was possible by using the cathode with an electrically isolated side surface