Mastering the Art of Electrochemical Polishing: My Journey at Holdson

From Valve Bodies to Aerospace Discs: Becoming an ECM Expert

I embarked on my first ECM project back in 1998, polishing specialist valve bodies using just a repurposed machine tool and a power supply. Let me tell you, it was no easy feat.

Here, I learned an enormous amount about the ‘rules and regulations’ of the process, from how selecting the right material can help combat stubborn corrosion, to grappling with the intricacies of high current low voltage processes. Most importantly, this project taught me just how critical the tooling and fluid control is for the process.

The second project I worked on was for an aerospace company, machining Ti6/4 discs. This took an awful lot of power (in excess of 6,000A) teaching me the importance of understanding the forces behind a non-contact process.

But that was just the beginning of my ECM journey…

Rewriting the ECM Rulebook: Holdson’s Path of Innovation

Two decades later and here we are, revolutionizing ECM at Holdson.

Our relentless dedication to research and development has completely transformed electrochemistry’s role in polishing additively manufactured components. By assembling a team with expertise in chemistry and engineering, we’ve revolutionized our electrolyte fluids, bidding farewell to corrosion concerns. And our groundbreaking CFD techniques? They optimize electrolyte flow like never before, giving us a remarkable advantage in post- processing metallic components.

Through the development of our innovative dynamic cathode system, Holdson has also opened the process up to a whole new audience of those that want to polish one-off bespoke components, where ECM/ECP was previously cost prohibitive.