Exploring Entegris POCO Materials EDM-AF5® Graphite

In our previous blog post, we reviewed one of our most economical Ultrafine graphite grades, POCO EDM-1. This five-micron grade provides a combination of speed, low electrode wear, and a good surface finish at a much lower price point. Now we’ll venture into the opposite side of the spectrum and explore our POCO EDM-AF5® graphite grade, the smallest particle size grade Entegris POCO Materials offers.

Let’s take a closer look at the characteristics of this material and learn what applications it’s most suitable for.

What is EDM-AF5?

Our EDM-AF5® graphite is the premier Angstrofine graphite electrode material available on the market today with an average particle size of less than 1 micron. These smaller particle sizes give this grade advanced properties that exceed those with larger particle sizes.

EDM-AF5 graphite is an excellent material for electrical discharge machining due to its uniform structure, superior strength, and resistance to damage.

Why Choose EDM-AF5?

With an average particle size of less than 1 micron, its uniform microstructure is unmatched. EDM-AF5 is best suited for applications with extreme detail or where a very fine surface finish is required. The high flexural strength allows the creation of fine detailed electrodes designed to meet the challenges of intricate and delicate machining tasks. Whether you need electrodes for engraving, or intricate mold and die fabrication, EDM-AF5 offers unmatched precision and reliability:

• Precision Engraving: Ideal for creating fine detailed engravings with exceptional accuracy.
• Delicate and Fragile Electrodes: Engineered to handle delicate and fragile tasks without compromising on performance.
• Surface Finish: Used in applications where extreme surface finish from the EDM are required.
• Intricate Mold and Die Fabrication: Optimized for the fabrication of intricate molds and dies, delivering superior detail and finish.
• Wire EDM: The 1 micron particle size makes it the most optimal non-impregnated graphite best suited for fabricating electrodes when using wire EDM.

EDM-AF5 is available in various forms such as billets, semi-finished rods, or plates, and caters to unique manufacturing needs.

What to Look for When Selecting Electrode Materials

EDM-AF5 is a premier graphite grade but may not be suitable for every application. When assessing electrode materials for EDM, you’ll want to evaluate five different factors. Here’s how these factors relate to EDM-AF5:

• Work Metal Type
  EDM-AF5® graphite is highly versatile and can be used effectively with a variety of common work metals. However, it is particularly well-suited for:
  • Steel: Ideal for both hard and soft steel, providing excellent surface finish and precision.
  • Aluminum: Effective for aluminum, delivering smooth finishes and efficient machining.

These metals benefit from EDM-AF5® graphite's superior strength, fine surface finish, and high resistance to wear, making it a top choice for intricate and demanding machining tasks

• Electrode Detail and Size
  EDM-AF5 provides superior performance and durability. The fine particle size enhances the material's strength and resistance to damage, ensuring long-lasting performance. The combination of strength and small particle size allows minimum radii and tight tolerance to be achieved
• EDM Performance
  Choose EDM-AF5® graphite for unmatched performance and reliability in your manufacturing processes. With an excellent resistance to electrode wear, EDM-AF5® graphite reduces the number of electrodes required, shortens production times, and increases efficiency in extremely difficult applications. It’s fine surface finish capability (7Raµin) reduces imperfections, minimizing the introduction of defects into molds.
• Cost
  Electrode material cost generally represents only a small part of the total EDM job cost. Fabrication time, cutting time, labor, and electrode wear all depend on the electrode material more than on any other factor. EDM-AF5 has a high resistance to wear which reduces the need for frequent replacements, eliminating the fabrication of extra electrodes, lowering the cost of ownership.
• Physical Characteristics
  In addition to its uniform material structure, EDM-AF5 offers a typical flexural strength of 14,500 psi and 83 Shore hardness. These characteristics are beneficial when fabricating delicate and fragile electrodes with extremely fine detail. Material hardness plays a huge factor in graphite machinability. Harder electrode materials will be more prone to chipping during the machining process, however EDM-AF5 is less prone to chipping due to its extremely tight microstructure making intricate details achievable.

Work with Entegris POCO Materials to Find the Best Electrode Materials for Your Application

At Entegris POCO Materials, all our graphite grades are produced using our unique manufacturing process that results in unparalleled microstructure, strength, consistency, and reliability.

Learn how you can excel with graphite from Entegris POCO Materials by contacting an applications specialist.

EDM-AF5 is available from any of our distributors. Follow this link to contact one today! https://poco.entegris.com/en/home/about-us/edm-distributors.html