Raw material cost is another consideration. A premium grade of graphite used , is on average three times more expensive than copper. Logic would tell us to go in for the cheaper material. But seldom is this done, as the complexities and the difficulties faced during fabrication, quickly offset this advantage. Thus we conclude that appropriate selection of tool material is never an easy task for novice manufacturers.
All aspects have to be considered before making any kind of a decision.
The five most commonly used materials are copper, brass, zinc, tungsten, graphite. These fall into two main categories Metallic and Graphite. Metallic are further divided into common metals, tungsten, tungsten composites and exotics. Copper is the best known of the lot. Brass and zinc complete the lot.