For any plant, facility or production option with electric arc furnaces, ladle furnaces or foundries, choosing a reliable, dependable graphite electrode supplier will be a critical consideration. While the rate of consumption of the graphite electrodes will vary, most electric arc furnaces (EAFs) will use one rod per 8-10 hours with most EAFs using three sets of three rods per furnace.
When choosing from graphite electrode suppliers, there are several things that a production company needs to keep in mind. Selecting a provider on price alone is never a good strategy, but the price will certainly be a factor to consider as this will be a constant cost of doing business.
Grades Available
Depending on the type of operation or production offered at the facility there may be several different grades of graphite electrodes require. High power (HP), super high power (SHP) or ultra high power (UHP) or high density (HD) electrodes can be used in a range of different types applications.
Working with a supplier with the inventory to provide not only the volume of electrodes required but also the grade is important for any industry. Without the correct grade and availability of supply, it is extremely challenging to keep production at the necessary levels.
Quality grades of electrodes result in a lower consumption rate per electrode. With lower consumption rates, there is a decrease in the cost of operation, which contributes to higher profits.
Sizes and Specifications
The grade is not the only consideration. There are different diameters of graphite electrodes. The most common sizes included the 8 to 28-inch diameter. Some of the specialized graphite electrode suppliers can provide custom machining to customer specifications as well as NEMA (National Electrical Manufacturers Association) and IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) requirements.
