Also called EDM, for short, electric discharge machining releases electric discharges that create tiny craters into the surface of your workpiece. The quick succession of these fiery arcs leads to complete cuts (and gives it its other nickname, spark machining).
It’s a nice option if you need to create complex geometrical shapes, especially when you’re working with harder materials or designs that require close tolerances. One limiting factor is that the material needs to have electrical conductivity. However, they’re perfect if you need small, highly detailed parts that other kinds of machining wouldn’t be able to handle. You can see the science behind the technology of an EDM machine in the following illustration.
