" wrote:

From a book entitled " Non-traditional machinging Procsesses ",
" The ECM process requires low voltage DC. Voltages from 5v to 15 v
are usually used but may go as high as 30 v in certain cases.
Currents from 100 to 20,000 amp are being used with even higher
currents being considered for the future.

A welder would have a higher voltage than you need, but might work for
doing some experimenting. You might also consider Microwave Oven
transformers with a rewound secondary.

Dan

Those numbers seem in line with the info I've run across so far. The
industrial machines run with very small (sub-mm) gaps between
electrode and work. My setup will be a bit cruder with a substantially
larger gap, so I imagine I'll need to bump up the voltage quite a bit.
And I'll be working at lower currents, at least initially -- until I
get a handle on the process -- but I should still end up with much
higher material removal rates than during my earlier experiments with
a 12V/6A battery charger. I'll keep the microwave transformer in mind
in case the welder doesn't work out. Thanks.

Bert