电火花加工（EDM）已被证明是当今工业中一种有用的工具，它提供了传统加工相对容易加工的电极材料而不是难加工的工件材料的优势。然而，由于电极在电火花加工过程中消耗，为了实现最大效率，尤其是在复杂的三维形状上，必须提高形成消耗电极的成本和便利性:复杂电极通常是电火花加工制造系统中最昂贵的部分。 最近开发的两种技术显著改变了后续电火花加工中石墨电极的初始成型和修整时间和费用。轨道磨损和超声波磨损过程产生的石墨电极尺寸精确，易于矫正和重复使用。这些电极形成方法提供了

ELECTRICAL DISCHARGE MACHINING (EDM) HAS PROVEN ITSELF TO BE A USEFUL TOOL IN TODAY'S INDUSTRY BY OFFERING THE ADVANTAGE OF CONVENTIONALLY MACHINING RELATIVELY EASY- TO-MACHINE ELECTRODE MATERIALS INSTEAD OF HARD-TO-MACHINE WORKPIECE MATERIALS. HOWEVER, BECAUSE THE ELECTRODES ARE CONSUMED IN THE EDM PROCESS, TO ACHIEVE MAXIMUM EFFICIENCY, PARTICULARLY ON COMPLEX, THREE-DIMENSIONAL SHAPES, THE COST AND CONVENIENCE OF FORMING THE ELECTRODES CONSUMED MUST BE IMPROVED: 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 EDM. THE ORBITAL AND ULTRASONIC ABRASION PROCESSES PRODUCE DIMENSIONALLY ACCURATE GRAPHITE ELECTRODES WHICH CAN EASILY BE REDRESSED AND REUSED. THESE ELECTRODE FORMING METHODS PROVIDE FOR