A Complete Guide of Graphite Electrode
Graphite has many advantages that have made
it the most used material for EDM electrodes:
• It
is very easy to machine.
• It
is very resistant to thermal shocks.
• It
has a low coefficient of thermal expansion (3 times higher than copper) that
guarantees the stability of the electrode geometry during machining with
electric shock.
• It
is available in large blocks.
• It
does not melt, it transforms directly from the solid state to the gaseous state
at 3,400 ° C. avoiding wear.
• It
provides a higher rate of metal removal than copper but with less wear.
• It
has the unique characteristic that wear tends to decrease when the current
increases.
More
about Graphite
The graphite electrode used for EDM machining is an isotropic material with a grain size
ranging from a few micrometers to about 20 micrometers. In the 70s,
improvements made by graphite manufacturers (isotropic properties, constant
quality, and large billets) combined with the appearance of EDM machines equipped
with iso-plus generators, allowed graphite to become the most used material for
EDM electrode machining.
The
graphite can be separated into three groups:
1. Large-grained graphite of low density.
2. Fine-grained graphite of high density.
3. Fine grain graphite.
Large grain electrode paste is used for slab machining while fine grain
graphite produces the best surface finish. As graphite has become more
accessible, EDM machining shops offer inventory of two or even three grades of
graphite. The least expensive for the roughing is the graphite of big grain,
followed by the graphite of fine grain for the finishing, or the combination of
both for finishing and distaste and possibly a graffito of very fine grain for
operations of very fine finishing and that require high accuracy.
Configuration
the graphite used in negative polarity gives a machining speed higher than the positive polarity with a wear rate of approximately 20%, regardless of the intensity level. However, positive polarity machining leads to wear rates of approximately 10% to 50% in the finishing mode and approximately 0% in the roughing mode. while decreasing the risk of abnormal discharges, mentioned above.
the graphite used in negative polarity gives a machining speed higher than the positive polarity with a wear rate of approximately 20%, regardless of the intensity level. However, positive polarity machining leads to wear rates of approximately 10% to 50% in the finishing mode and approximately 0% in the roughing mode. while decreasing the risk of abnormal discharges, mentioned above.
In practice, the operator will normally use
graphite in positive polarity when in rough mode, with the exception of holes
through the material where wear is not a critical factor. Machining in the
finishing mode is carried out in negative or positive polarity depending on the
stability of the process. To obtain the stability of the process, it is
advisable to use smaller current densities in negative polarity than in
positive polarity.
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