Systems and methods for electrochemical machining of articles produced by additive manufacturing

A system, comprising:

• a tool having a first end configured to be inserted into a first opening of an intermediate article, wherein the intermediate article includes walls having interior surfaces that define the first opening, a second opening, an elongated internal channel extending therebetween, and interior supports within the internal channel that structurally support the interior surfaces during an additive manufacturing (AM) process that produced the intermediate article, wherein a portion of the interior surfaces is not within line-of-sight of either of the first opening and the second opening;
• a fluid supply device configured to supply an electrolyte fluid through the tool to be dispensed adjacent to a conductive region of the tool;
• a power supply device configured to provide a voltage to a circuit that includes the conductive region of the tool, the electrolyte fluid, and at least the interior supports;
• and
• a movement device configured to move the tool through the internal channel of the intermediate article from the first opening to the second opening,
• wherein the tool, the fluid supply device, the power supply device, and the movement device are configured to operate, in combination, to perform an electrochemical machining (ECM) process to remove the interior supports disposed within the internal channel in a manner that causes the conductive region of the tool to function as a cathode, at least the interior supports to function as an anode, and the interior supports to be dissolved by an electro-chemical reaction when in sufficient proximity to the conductive region of the tool with the electrolyte fluid therebetween.