What to Look for in an Electrode Paste Supplier's Factory Audit: A Checklist of Production Line and Testing Capability-FAQ-Electrode Paste Manufacturer in China

Abstract

The purpose of a factory audit is not to "see how new the buildings are", but to verify two things: whether the supplier is able to consistently produce conforming paste (the production line), and whether it is able to detect non-conforming product (the testing system). The checklist below proceeds as "first look at raw materials, second at processes, third at testing, fourth at management".

Keywords

Electrode paste supplier audit；production line key processes；testing capability；management system;；submerged arc furnace smelting；Rongxing Group

Last updated

2026-11-13

Owner

Rongxing Group Technical Team

1. Raw material end (which sets the floor of quality)

No.	Checkpoint	Pass criteria / red flags
1	Source and calcination method of the electrically calcined anthracite	Own electric calciner (Acheson furnace) or a fixed supplier; Red flag: bulk material bought externally, no calcination records
2	Pitch suppliers and incoming inspection	Medium-temperature coal pitch supplied by fixed manufacturers, with softening point and QI tested batch by batch on arrival; Red flag: incoming material warehoused without testing
3	Management of graphite scrap, butts and other auxiliary materials	Clear sorting and impurity-removal process for butts, storage in separate zones; Red flag: butts piled together with scrap
4	Zoned raw material stock and first-in-first-out	Batched and warehoused separately, traceable labeling

2. Key processes on the production line

No.	Process	Checkpoints	Red flags
5	Secondary crushing, screening, milling	Regular inspection and replacement records for screens; periodic spot tests of the size distribution	Broken screens left unrepaired, gradation judged by feel
6	Batching scales	Regular calibration certificates; batching records archived automatically	Manual estimation in batching, scales without calibration
7	Kneader	Automatic temperature control (180–190℃), time records, steam / heat-transfer-oil temperature control method	Malfunctioning temperature gauge, arbitrary kneading time
8	Temperature equalizing and forming	Equalizing stock exists with duration records; online monitoring of forming pressure / density	Forming immediately after discharge, no equalizing step
9	Cooling and packaging	Gradient cooling; moisture-proof and contamination-proof packaging; batch numbers matching production records	Quenching with water, bulk mixed batches

3. Testing capability (the link that most exposes the true level)

No.	Essential test items	Corresponding equipment	How to check
10	Ash, volatile matter, moisture	Muffle furnace, proximate analyzer	Watch one complete operation on site together with the original records
11	Pitch softening point	Ring-and-ball softening point apparatus	Check the calibration records
12	Resistivity of the sintered body	Resistivity tester (with sintering furnace)	Red flag: quoting sintered-body figures without owning a sintering furnace
13	Compressive / flexural strength of the sintered body	Universal testing machine + sintering-regime apparatus	Confirm that the sintering regime is documented in writing
14	Bulk density, true density	Density measurement device, pycnometer	—
15	Third-party comparison mechanism	External testing commission agreements and reports	Red flag: never sent to a third party

4. Management system

Authenticity of the ISO 9001 quality system certificate (verify it on the certificate issuer's official website);
Batch traceability: pick any batch number — can it be traced back to the raw material batch, the batching records and the test reports within 30 minutes;
The nonconforming-product handling procedure and the customer complaint ledger of the past year;
Export experience: sea-freight packaging, container loading and arrival breakage rate records (a must-check for export customers).

What to Look for in an Electrode Paste Supplier's Factory Audit: A Checklist of Production Line and Testing Capability

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