Electrical discharge machining (EDM) is widely applied for machining difficult-to-cut materials in mold and die industries. However, the major limitations associated with the EDM are low productivity and poor surface integrity of the machined surfaces. In recent years, several developments have been applied to overcome such limitations of EDM. Electrical discharge grinding (EDG) is a hybrid machining process that simultaneously involves the spark erosion action of EDM and the mechanical abrasion action of the grinding wheel for the material removal purpose. The rotating motion of the grinding wheel also contributes to the easy removal of debris particles, thereby improving the material removal. It is evident from the literature that the rotating motion of the grinding wheel enhances the flushing mechanism resulting in better performance of the process. This paper aims to present a comprehensive review of the research carried out in EDG, highlighting the result of the experimental, modeling, and optimization techniques applied in this area. Initially, the background of EDM and the need for hybrid EDM processes have been presented. Then, a few hybrid EDM processes have been discussed, addressing their advantages and limitations. Further, the concept of EDG and electrical discharge diamond grinding (EDDG) has been discussed, along with the classification of the EDDG process. Finally, this paper explores the current research status and future research perspective in the area of EDG and EDDG processes.

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Difficulty in debris removal and the transport of fresh dielectric into discharge gap hinders the process performance of electrical discharge machining (EDM) process. Therefore, in this work, an economical low frequency vibration platform was developed to improve the performance of EDM through vibration assistance. The developed vibratory platform functions on an eccentric weight principle and generates a low frequency vibration in the range of 0–100 Hz. The performance of EDM was evaluated in terms of the average surface roughness (Ra), material removal rate (MRR), and tool wear rate (TWR) whilst varying the input machining parameters viz. the pulse-on-time (Ton), peak current (Ip), vibration frequency (VF), and tool rotational speed (TRS). The peak current was found to be the most significant parameter and contributed by 78.16%, 65.86%, and 59.52% to the Ra, MRR, and TWR, respectively. The low frequency work piece vibration contributed to an enhanced surface finish owing to an improved flushing at the discharge gap and debris removal. However, VF range below 100 Hz was not found to be suitable for the satisfactory improvement of the MRR and reduction of the TWR in an electrical discharge drilling operation at selected machining conditions.

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