Graphite glass moulds for glass end products are increasingly used in the ICT sector and elsewhere, while graphite electrodes are popular and proven in the automotive, electronic-component, aerospace and packaging sectors.

Two machines from Coventry-based GF Machining Solutions Ltd (www.gfms.com/uk) — the Mikron Mill S 400/500 Graphite and Mikron HSM 500 — have been designed to meet the particular challenges of machining graphite.

The three-axis Mikron Mill S 400/500 Graphite is aimed at machining graphite mould tools, but it can also handle a range of other materials.

As ambient temperatures fluctuate in machine shops and machining speeds change, process stability is maintained by the machine’s thermo-stable body and its ‘intelligent thermal management system’.

The 13.5kW Step-Tec HVC140 spindle offers a maximum speed of 42,000rev/min.

Meanwhile, the Mikron HSM 500 Graphite is a ‘simple and compact’ machine designed for the dry machining of graphite.

It too has a Step-Tec HVC140 spindle, along with a high-efficiency dust extraction system.

Moreover, this machine can be integrated with a System 3R WorkPartner (WPT1+) part-changing robot, which considerably increases its productivity potential.