Demand for drilled micro-holes on difficult to machine materials have increased over the past years and non-traditional drilling processes are commonly used to fabricate such micro-holes on difficult to machine materials. This research investigates different non-traditional drilling processes, such as electro-discharge, laser beam, abrasive water jet, electro-chemical and electro-chemical discharge drilling methods. Drilling mechanism, material removal rate/machining speed and surface finish have been analysed for every process. These analyses clearly show that vaporisation, melting, chemical dissolution and mechanical erosion are dominant material removal mechanism during non-traditional drilling.  The understanding on electro-discharge, laser beam and abrasive water jet drilling are more developed than that of electro-chemical, electro-chemical discharge and hybrid drilling processes.  

Dr Pramanik is currently a lecturer in Mechanical Engineering Discipline, School of Civil and Mechanical Engineering at Curtin University, Perth, Australia. He completed Masters and PhD degrees in Mechanical Engineering from National University of Singapore and University of Sydney respectively. Dr Pramanik has more than 15 year of research experience in the fields of manufacturing as well as composite materials at different universities. He has published more than 110 research articles which include several books, many book chapters and many reputed journal articles.