Custom Carbon and Graphite Machining Blog

15 Sep

Graphite Coring

When a client orders a machined graphite component from Semco, we do everything possible to give them the best deal we can. Providing value to our clients on graphite product dovetails perfectly with other values we hold, such as eliminating waste and promoting efficiency. Cutting corners, though, is something we do not do. If you order graphite product from Semco, it will be of the highest quality, machined to your rigorous specifications. Within this commitment to highest quality graphite components, there are still opportunities for savings for both the client and for Semco. These instances usually arise from smart engineering...

31 Aug

Diamond Tooling

Don’t believe the advertising slogan - diamonds are NOT forever, at least not if we’re talking about diamond tools. They wear out too, it just takes them a while. Diamond tools are special, though, with many specific applications that demand the singular qualities provided by what is popularly understood to be the hardest natural substance. At Semco, we play a part in using synthetic graphite to produce diamond tools. We know what you’re thinking: “Diamonds and graphite are siblings -- they both come from the same parent substance, carbon. Semco must just press the graphite until it becomes diamond graphite!”...

02 Jun

Metal Fabrication Requests

Every machining shop has its choice material. At Semco, that material is carbon graphite. We know the ins and outs of this material and can talk all day about isostatic vs. extruded graphite, or about graphite’s conductive and heat-resistant properties. While we are experts at graphite machining, we generally do not machine metal. Nevertheless, Semco Carbon occasionally receives metal fabrication RRF’s, projects we are not equipped to produce in house. Conversely (if you are a metal machining shop), your facility might receive graphite or carbon RFQ’s, projects that you are not equipped to produce. We would like to start a...

17 May

Graphite: A Self-Lubricating Material

When people think about graphite applications, what usually comes to mind (well, besides pencils, which everyone knows about) are crucibles or other graphite components used in high-heat environments. Graphite’s heat tolerance is a well-known quality of this wonder material. But among the most common graphite applications in industry is the use of graphite as a lubricant. Lubrication in mechanical systems is essential to the proper operation of the system. Mechanical systems that are composed of components designed to interact with each other, through friction, will have to take into account possible issues such as heat build-up and wear. Designing proper...

24 Feb

Graphite Availability and Production in 2021

With 2019 and a particularly challenging 2020 in the rearview mirror, Semco Carbon is hoping for good things in 2021. The last couple years have presented multiple challenges regarding graphite, from material acquisition to production. Raw materials have been a particular challenge. Given the 2018 closure of multiple Chinese manufacturers per new green initiatives, many major graphite manufacturers found themselves without enough stock. Then, in 2019, everyone jumped into production and it became a year of oversupply. 2020 was a completely different story. Given the economic slowdown caused by the pandemic, lots of graphite manufacturers decided to shut down production...