All About the Nishimura Graphite Hirakata Plant
The Nishimura Graphite Hirakata Plant
Since its establishment in 1969, the Nishimura Graphite Hirakata Plant has been responsible for the complete manufacturing of all of Nishimura Graphite’s products.
In 2022, we introduced muscle suits (wearable assistive exoskeletons) to improve work efficiency and reduce lower back strain for employees. Our goal is to create a factory environment that benefits both customers and employees, and we work daily to achieve this.
The factory is also ISO 9001 certified, and we strive to ensure the stable delivery of high-quality products.
Reliable Quality
At our company, we conduct strict quality control in accordance with customer specifications, including raw material, in-process, and final product inspections.
For natural graphite, quality also varies depending on the country of origin and mining site. That is why we conduct detailed analyses of graphite from each region and process it to fully utilize its unique properties.
The Manufacturing Process
The silvery parts that glitter in the raw ore are graphite, which makes up about 10% of the ore.
The ore is transported to plants using dump trucks.
1) Graphite is broken up into small pieces using a crusher.
2) The ore is separated into graphite and other minerals using the flotation method (adhering particles to air bubbles with oil).
3) Selected graphite ore is drained and dried. *The photo shows the heat source section of an ondol-type dryer.
1) If products imported from overseas are outside of our standard ranges, they are reprocessed through additional crushing and separation for final adjustments.
In addition, residual oil is vaporized and evaporated through heating during this process.
We import generic products from overseas and adjust them at our plants to the particle sizes specified by our customers.
2) After passing through the processing line of our plant, the graphite products are sifted through a final sieving screen and then measured and packed in paper bags or flexible containers while being weighed.