Custom Carbon & Graphite Machining

30 Nov

Graphite as Art: Michael Joaquin Grey

Graphite Machining At Semco, we are industry leaders in graphite machining. When companies need custom graphite components for various industrial processes, they call us. It is not everyday, though, that we get requests to turn someone’s graphite design into a work of art. This recently happened at Semco when we worked with renowned artist and inventor Michael Joaquin Grey to produce, using our graphite machining tools and expertise, several sculptures from his designs. This collaboration was an exciting departure for us, but one that we welcomed because our expertise matched up so seamlessly with the client’s needs. Michael is an...

28 Nov

Graphite Ingot Molds

Making gold and silver ingots, the bars traded in the largest international markets, requires a mold in which to pour the molten metal. Luckily for makers of these ingots, there is a graphite solution to this need. At Semco, we know this because we make the graphite molds that gold and silver ingot producers use to shape their bars for the international market. Literally billions of dollars worth of gold and silver have been shaped into ingots in molds machined by Semco. Because the standards for gold and silver ingots set by the London Bullion Market Association are so exacting,...

24 Nov

Teflon: Not Just for Cookware

Teflon-Coated Graphite: Industrial ApplicationsGraphite ComponentsWhen graphite components need protection from oxidation or highly reactive chemicals or corrosive substances, they are commonly coated with a Polytetrafluoroethylene-based formula with a familiar name: Teflon. Most Teflon is used in industry for purposes from graphite element coating to insulation for coaxial cables where it is effective due to it's chemical properties and resistance to high temperatures. It is even used in valve oil for trumpets. Despite the diverse applications for this useful, low maintenance synthetic material, you may never have heard the word “Teflon” outside of the context of cooking. The truth, though, is...

21 Nov

Outsource of Graphite Machine Work From Metal Shops

Buy Graphite? Sometimes, metal machining shops receive orders for graphite components. If the metal shop buys from graphite sources and machines the graphite themselves, some problems may occur. We explain here why it’s often a bad idea to buy graphite and machine it on equipment meant for machining metal, and why graphite machining is best done on proper equipment by experts in carbon materials. Graphite Sources From the outside, metal machining shops and graphite machining shops are similar. For instance, both use CNC machines that can cut these materials into virtually any shape. However, in metal machining, cutting fluids are...

04 Oct

A Closer Look at Carbon Recycling

At Semco, we are the graphite machining experts, but one overlooked aspect of our business is our sustainability effort around graphite recycling. Recycling used graphite materials has environmental and economic benefits. We work with individuals and businesses to realize those benefits while increasing their storage space and saving them laborious and costly trips to the landfill. Does Graphite Degrade Naturally?Graphite is unlike many substances found in landfills—it does not easily degrade. While organic matter, or even plastics, will either decompose or break up into smaller and smaller pieces over the years, graphite holds up for a long time, and thus retains...