S. J. MacGregor, I. Timoshkin, Strathclyde University, Glasgow, United Kingdom

Summary:

Under normal circumstances, electrical discharges are usually considered to be unwelcome events. However, if the energy from such discharges is dissipated in a liquid, such as water, then very large shock fronts can be generated. These shock fronts can contain peak pressures of several thousand bar, with a spectral content ranging from a few Hz to many MHz. The energy that is dissipated during such a discharge can be used to carry out a number of industrial processes. These processes include casting release, component moulding, component joining, material cleaning and surface treatment. Details concerning the design considerations for electrical discharge processing systems will be reviewed and information on the effectiveness of such treatments will be highlighted.