How to evaluate a graphite sales vendor
When seeking a qualified vendor who specializes in graphite sales it is important to define the scope of work required for your project. Will the project require any computer aided design (CAD), custom machining, material application advise, material specification data or testing samples? Do you have a material grade that is approved but no longer available? If so how do you handle finding a suitable replacement or equivalent? Do you need just bulk material or finished components? Will your project require small lots or immediate delivery?
We are constantly inundated with questions from customers who are trying to find the right fit in a graphite solutions vendor.
The fortune 500 companies and major manufactures of graphite materials are typically unresponsive too small and medium sized customers who don't buy millions of dollars of graphite materials on an annual basis. The major producers are typically looking to sell container load quantities of their materials, but if you don't need 20 tons for your project you probably are not on their radar, and they are not an ideal vendor for your needs.
Even though most manufacturers will tell you that they produce a materials specifically for any application you may have, is their material the right one or the best solution available in the market? If their competitor makes an equivalent material that actually works better, you certainly will not hear about it from the company salesman. This also holds true for the custom graphite machine shops that are owned by a major material manufacturer. These company shops only represent one graphite manufacturer and dealing with them can limit your material solution options.
At Semco Carbon we specialize in graphite sales, application advice, and custom machining. We have decades of application experience in grade selection and the ability to provide CAD service to our customer. We are not a company shop! We are independently owned and have access to all graphite materials. Our current inventory consist of materials from all the leading vendors along with our own proprietary materials. We will recommend the best material solution for the job, not just the one we are allowed to sell.