电火花加工（EDM）通过提供传统加工电极材料而非工件材料的优势，已被证明是当今工业中一种有用的工具。然而，在电火花加工过程中，电极会被消耗掉，同时试图实现最大效率，尤其是在复杂的三维形状上。由于复杂电极通常是电火花加工制造系统中最昂贵的部分，因此必须提高电极成型的成本和方便性。最近开发的两种技术极大地改变了最初成型和修整石墨电极的时间和费用，以便后续使用EDM。轨道磨损和超声波磨损工艺可用于生产尺寸精确的石墨电极，该电极易于矫正和重复使用。 这些电极形成方法提供了更经济的

ELECTRICAL DISCHARGE MACHINING (EDM) HAS PROVEN ITSELF TO BE A USEFUL TOOL IN TODAY'S INDUSTRY BY OFFERING THE ADVANTAGE OF CONVENTIONALLY MACHINING ELECTRODE MATERIALS INSTEAD OF WORKPIECE MATERIALS. HOWEVER, THE ELECTRODES ARE CONSUMED IN THE EDM PROCESS WHILE TRYING TO ACHIEVE MAXIMUM EFFICIENCY PARTICULARLY ON COMPLEX, THREE- DIMENSIONAL SHAPES. THE COST AND CONVENIENCE OF FORMING THE ELECTRODES CONSUMED MUST BE IMPROVED BECAUSE COMPLEX ELECTRODES OFTEN COMPRISE THE MOST EXPENSIVE PART OF AN EDM MANUFACTURING SYSTEM. TWO RECENTLY DEVELOPED TECHNIQUES HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY ALTERED THE TIME AND EXPENSE OF INITIAL FORMING AND REDRESSING GRAPHITE ELECTRODES FOR SUBSEQUENT USE OF EDM. THE ORBITAL AND ULTRASONIC ABRASION PROCESSES CAN BE USED TO PRODUCE DIMENSIONALLY ACCURATE GRAPHITE ELECTRODES WHICH CAN EASILY BE REDRESSED AND REUSED. THESE ELECTRODE FORMING METHODS PROVIDE FOR A MORE ECON