How Automation Elevates Our EDM & Graphite Milling Process

At Decatur Mold, our tooling experts build precision tools that power the plastic injection molding industry—and automation is helping us do it better than ever.

One of the most transformative areas of our shop is the trodemill ( 5 Axis Graphite Mill) and EDM (Electrical Discharge Machining) cell. These operations are key to shaping intricate features inside mold components that traditional machining can’t reach or define. Thanks to automation, we’ve streamlined this process from start to finish, improving consistency, accuracy, and efficiency.

Here’s How It Works:

Once the mold design is finalized, our design department releases the specs for the electrodes. From there, the automation kicks in:

• Raw Material Setup: The machinist loads raw, uncut carbon blocks into a carousel.

• Programming & Milling: The carbon is programmed to be precisely cut into “trodes” (electrodes) using a CNC mill.

• Robotic Loading: A robot automatically loads and unloads the carbon electrodes into the CNC machine, keeping production moving with little to no downtime.

• EDM Burning: Once the electrode is complete and the mold component is prepped in the EDM machine, the robot takes over again—loading and unloading each trode as needed for burning.

Why It Matters

This integrated system not only reduces manual handling and setup time, but also increases repeatability and lowers the risk of error. For our team, it means more time spent on higher-value work. For our customers, it means faster lead times and tighter tolerances.

Automated EDM & Graphite Milling Process