Custom Carbon and Graphite Machining Blog

28 Oct

Graphite Molds.Your Cost Saving Solution

Graphite has been used in mold production for over 50 years. Advancements in available materials have created the options that allowed graphite to be used in a variety of applications. Ingot graphite molds are commonly used in aluminum, gold and silver casting. Benefits of graphite permanent molds are realized by combining the low cost associated with machining graphite and high strength common to graphite materials, providing an economical alternative to other molds in the zinc-aluminum casting industry. Proper selection of the graphite grade is essential in the performance of the manufactured mold. Generally, given the relatively large porosity, extruded graphite grades are not recommended in the manufacturing of graphite molds requiring fine detail. There are certain high density...

21 Oct

3 Reasons graphite recycling is better than disposal

Many industrial consumers of synthetic carbon and graphite products simply dispose of their used carbon and graphite components in landfills. Here are three good reasons to participate in a graphite recycling program. Cost, is a large factor when disposing of used carbon and graphite industrial components. It simply is expensive to landfill this type of material. If the used graphite materials can be successfully segregated from other materials and contamination is not an issue these materials can be successfully recycled as opposed to being sent to landfills. There are processing facilities that will accept used synthetic carbon and graphite products. Much of this graphite ''scrap''...

30 Sep

Five keys to success when Machining Graphite

Graphite machining can be challenging. Especially if you are not prepared to work with it's unique and messy properties. As a custom graphite machining facility as well as a supplier of graphite material blanks, we have answered may customer questions over the years about the difficulty of machining graphite correctly. The following is a list of five key concepts to keep in mind when attempting to successfully machine synthetic graphite. First, synthetic graphite should be machined dry without the use of liquid coolants. The use of coolants when working with graphite will produce an abrasive slurry when the coolant combines with the fine...

23 Sep

EDM Graphite

The selection of the most appropriate Sinker EDM electrode material is a key decision in the process plan for any job. This blog will examine the properties of graphite and metallic electrode materials. There are four main properties that effect EDM: 1. Mechanical Properties - The mechanical properties (tensile strength, grain size, hardness) will affect both the fabrication of the electrode as well as the operational performance of the electrode. 2. Structural Integrity - On a microscopic level the EDM process creates very violent sparks. The ability of the electrode material to withstand that stress, will determine the material's performance regarding surface finish and wear. 3. Melting Point - EDM...

16 Sep

Component Tolerances and Cost

Over decades of manufacturing custom graphite and carbon components for customers to their specifications we have witnessed a reoccurring experience concerning the tolerance block on many of the blueprints we receive for production. We have found that many of the part drawings we are asked to quote or produce have excessively tight part tolerances when they are completely unnecessary. This is often a result of a default tolerance block being used on a blueprint template or the person drafting adding dimensions with excess decimal place callouts. A component machined to specifications tighter and more stringent than intended would undoubtedly work for the intended application, but would it actually perform better than a component held to...