Custom Carbon & Graphite Machining

03 Mar

Semco Capabilities

In this blog, we like to detail specifics about our work at Semco, sometimes describing complex jobs and explaining how we overcome problems that arise when working with graphite. We also elaborate on aspects of our operation, from shop floor initiatives to recycling programs, that make Semco one of the top graphite manufacturing companies in the midwest, and an authority on graphite industries worldwide. Occasionally, we like to remind people about the basics of what we do at Semco and what our core capabilities are. In this entry, we will review some of our core graphite machining services and go...

17 Feb

Semco Welcomes Nadia Lopez, Our New Office Manager

Semco Carbon is a graphite company with tons of graphite stored in our warehouse and expensive state-of-the-art CNC machines that perform graphite production operations on our shop floor, but our most valuable assets are our amazing employees. We are always excited to bring a new person on board, and now we have the honor of welcoming our most recent addition to the team, the new Office Manager Nadia Lopez. “Office Manager” is a catch-all term that can include various duties, depending on the company. In her short time here, Nadia has already started working with our Estimation, Production, and Shipping/Receiving...

10 Feb

Problem Solving at Semco - Precision Graphite Machining for Graphite Applications

Semco runs a complex manufacturing facility in Lorain, Ohio. We employ highly skilled workers who run state-of-the-art equipment to perform precision graphite machining. So many variables are at play when we make custom parts for our clients’ graphite applications, and our expertise is in controlling all of those variables (eg, graphite grade, tolerancing, design specs, etc) to produce high quality graphite components that our customers depend on. With so many moving parts in our operation, it is inevitable that problems will arise. While problems in the production line can back up orders and are generally seen by all employees as...

03 Feb

Incentive Programs at Semco - Improving Our Graphite Manufacturing Performance

At Semco, we have always looked at ways to improve our graphite manufacturing performance through the adoption of the most up-to-date technologies, computerized systems, and machines. Also, we have always been at the forefront of adopting the newest, best, raw materials for graphite fabrication. We also seek out and hire the best people to do this work. With such great engineers, machinists, and clerical staff, we feel it would only be logical and fair to reward great performance. Doing so also helps our bottom line. Thus, we have implemented a variety of programs that incentivize our workforce to perform at...

21 Jan

The Challenges of Measuring Surface Finishes

Any surface, from a school desk to a basketball court, has a topography with peaks and valleys. On the surface of the earth, topography is readily apparent (except, maybe, in parts of Kansas). But even the smoothest metal surfaces deviate from a theoretically ideal plane. Recent standardization has resulted in the creation of a standard range (Ra) for surface deviation, measured in micrometers or micro inches. With graphite material, these deviations from a perfect plane are typically more pronounced due to the porous nature of graphite. Those small naturally occurring pores in the material have the effect of increasing the...