What is EDM? | Electric Discharge Machining | Peak Machine Sales

The origin of electrical discharge machining goes back to 1770, when English scientist Joseph Priestly discovered the erosive effect of electrical discharges. In 1943, Soviet scientists B. Lazarenko and N. Lazarenko had the idea of exploiting the destructive effect of an electrical discharge and developing a controlled process for machining materials that are conductors of electricity. With that idea, the EDM process was born.

The Lazarenkos perfected the electrical discharge process, which consisted of a succession of discharges made to take place between two conductors separated from each other by a film of nonconducting liquid, called a dielectric. The Lazarenkos achieved a form of immortality with this circuit, which today bears their name. Today, many EDMs use an advanced version of the Lazarenko circuit.

In 1952, the manufacturer Charmilles, because interested in spark erosion machining, created the first machine using this machining process was presented for the first time at the European Machine Tool Exhibition in Milan in 1955.

Numerical control and feedback loops with ultra fast servos were added in the 1970’s. 

Today, full 3-D CAD/CAMS feed the controls of the machines with code generated to control path and spark characteristics.