Graphite Electrode for EDM Description
Graphite electrodes for electrical discharge machining offer several advantages over other materials. They are easy to machine, have a lower density, wear at a slower rate and maintain stable mechanical properties at high temperatures. Consequently, graphite is suitable for electrical discharge machining and has become the most used material for EDM electrodes. Graphite is used extensively in production for EDM and in applications such as mould making, general mechanical engineering and micro-machining.

Advantages of Graphite Electrodes for Electrical Discharge Machining
- Graphite can achieve electrode wear of less than 1% relative to cut depth under aggressive machine parameters. Given that copper does not reach these figures, high current and longer pulse durations conserve the graphite electrode.
- Fine-grained graphite electrodes produce surface finishes equivalent to those of copper. They enable higher machining speeds and reduce electrode wear significantly.
- Graphite is manufactured with a wide range of material properties. Therefore, the electrode properties can be tailored to the specific EDM application.
- Selecting graphite in place of copper yields considerable cost savings. This benefit arises from reduced machining times, increased cutting speeds, shorter production periods for electrodes, faster EDM durations and improved throughput of EDM machines.