Selecting the proper electrode material to produce a fine surface finish is vital to the success of the application. It is important to understand which material provides the potential for achieving an acceptable finish without the need for excessive handwork or polishing. By realizing the role that the microstructure of the material plays in producing fine surface finishes,

the manufacturing costs of the mold can often be reduced. The most popular graphite electrode materials used for fine finish work fall within the Angstrofine and Ultrafine classifications. Materials within these classifications can be expected to have specific performance characteristics consistent with the microstructure it exhibits.
Using high quality graphite can actually reduce the overall manufacturing costs.

In this case, the old adage, “It takes money to make money” holds true. Sure, the high quality graphite costs a little more than a lower quality material; however, the rewards of increased performance, finer surface finishes and reduced requirements for hand polishing offset the extra cost of the electrode material. The cost of the electrode material is just a small portion of the mold cost, yet when it comes to cutting costs this is often the first area that gets affected.

The grade of electrode material used is a critical facet in the EDM process and it is important for the EDMer to become familiar with the numerous options available. With a myriad of graphite materials available for EDM, the EDMer can easily become confused on which is the proper material for a specific application.

The bottom line is that for any application, a material with a consistent microstructure and uniformity between the particles and porosity offers predictable performance. When fine finishes are required, a small grain material produces finer finishes than large grain materials regardless of the uniformity of the microstructure. However, to receive the most return on the investment cost of the electrode, a small grain material with uniform microstructure will bring optimum results in the most critical applications.

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