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Metal Fabrication with Ceramics

 
  Ceramic metalworking components image

A diverse range of custom products fabricated to meet your specific designs are available in many materials. Many OEM equipment manufacturers and end users are taking advantage of ceramics’ special properties.

Tube Mill Ceramic Components

Accuratus supplies critically toleranced new and remanufactured ceramic rolls to a variety of mills.

Tube mills forming carbon and stainless tubing are using ceramics to advantage in their weld boxes. Ceramic rolls are not wet by molten metal splatter so build-up on the rolls is avoided or can be easily removed. The rolls are electrically insulated protecting bearings from stray weld currents. The rolls are easily cleaned and returned to service using in-house techniques. When necessary the rolls can be reground. The high hardness ensures long life of the rolls. Typical materials of construction are aluminum oxide and silicon nitride. High speed non-ferrous metal tube mills are also employing ceramic rolls in the weld boxes for improved productivity and product quality. The rolls are produced in silicon nitride. Their high hardness, refractoriness, non-magnetic characteristics and non-wetting by the copper based alloys permit their use in close proximity to the induction coils and the hot zone within the weld box. Very high production rates with extended preventative maintenance schedules result

Ceramic sheaths to protect induction welding impeders are also supplied. Highly refractory, wear resistant, non-wetting and thermal shock resistant ceramics are used in this application. Typical materials used include silicon carbide, silicon nitride and sialon.

Rod mills forming ferrous and non-ferrous metal rod are using ceramic sleeves in their on-line eddy current testers. The hardness, refractoriness and toughness of the ceramics all contribute to extended lifetimes for the testers. The non-magnetic characteristics of the ceramics make direct replacement of the thermoset and high temperature thermoplastic components possible. Materials used include silicon nitride and sialon. Rod mills producing copper rod that is subsequently drawn to extremely fine diameter are using zirconium oxide guide rolls to improve end product quality. The non-contaminating hard ceramics do not contaminate the formed rod. The result is substantially less breakage during the wire draw process employed by the mill’s customers.

Ceramic Staking Dies

Zirconium oxide ceramic is being used to advantage for staking captive fasteners and electronic fasteners. Lubricant usage is reduced or eliminated. The hard, non-galling nature of the zirconia reduces the need for lubricant while metal build-up on the staking surfaces is minimized. Cosmetics of the finished product are important. The fine grain structure of the ceramic makes it easy to polish to finishes below 2 microinches-equivalent to those used on metal and carbide dies. No reengineering is required. The toughness of the material matches tungsten carbide allowing direct replacement with zirconia in many applications. Finally, the corrosion resistance of the zirconia allows easy and fast cleaning with caustics and acids, thus eliminating the need for repolishing to remove contamination as is typically done with metal and carbide staking dies.

Welding and Brazing Ceramic Positioners/Fixtures

Precise positioning of components in spot, percussion and projection welding lines can be achieved with sialon and silicon nitride positioning components. Strong, thermal shock resistant, wear resistant and non-wetting, they are ideal for fixturing parts needing critical alignment. Precision tolerances are easily maintained by Accuratus assuring you of high quality components that work first time and every time.

Ceramics also find use as fixturing components in precision brazed assemblies. They are not wet by the molten filler metal, they are resistant to the corrosive action of the fluxes and maintain their dimensions with repeated heating and cooling. Ceramics are found in most types of brazing operations including furnace, torch and induction. Materials found in these applications include aluminum oxide, Macor, silicon carbide and silicon nitride.

See also: Materials > Sialon
See also: Materials > Silicon Carbide
See also: Materials > Silicon Nitride
See also: Materials > Zirconium Oxide

 

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