Cemented Carbide: Composition and its Various Areas of Application Defining: The Most Unique Material

In industrial parlance, cemented carbide is known to be the most successful and highly used composite engineering material to be ever produced. It is produced using a combination of two materials namely, cobalt powder and tungsten carbide. The combination of these two materials is used to manufacture wear-resistant tools which are often used in areas of application such as mining.

This particular element has a distinguishing combination of toughness, strength, and durability that satiates most of the demanding applications in multifarious industries.

One of the key features of this element is the capacity it holds to vary its composition from one state to another so that the resulting chemical and physical properties insure maximum resistance to different formations such as corrosion Flexible PCB, fracture, wear, oxidation, and deformation.

How is it Made?

The basic manufacturing process of this carbide element begins with a composition of a specific tungsten carbide powder mixture that is custom-made just depending on the nature of the application. The tungsten carbide powder is compacted into a solid form, and is then placed in the high-temperature sintering furnace. This is precisely when the carbide structure of the blank piece is completely shaped at accurate-desiring temperatures completely making sure it is performed at defining periods. Moreover, it is during this heat treatment process, tungsten carbide blank undergoes shrinkage of about 50% in volume. The sintered element attains a final finish by performing further processes like lapping, grinding, and/or polishing.

Today, a wide variety of shapes and sizes can be produced expending latest powder metallurgical processes. Industrialists find extreme scope in designing cost-effective solutions to problems related to component failure and wear which are encountered in fields like engineering and domestic environments.

Applications

This category can contain a countless number of applications, but however, some key areas where cemented carbide is majorly used as an industrial component is as follows:

Wear parts
Engineered components
Tools and tool blanks
Oil & Gas Applications
Can Tooling (Deep drawing of two-piece cans)
Automotive Components
PCB drill blanks
Metal Forming Tools
Rolls for Hot Rolling
Rings and Bushing
Woodworking Applications (Sawing and Planing)
Rotary Cutters for High-Speed cutting of artificial fibers
Nozzles (Oil drilling applications)
Pump pistons for high-performance pumps
Roof and Tail tools for high-wear resistance
Balls for ballpoint pens and ball bearings

The first cemented carbide gages were created using the Tungsten carbide particles that were held together by a cobalt metal binder. It is since then other carbide components such as Titanium-Carbide have been developed from the original form. This type of component is better suited for carving and cutting steel into different forms and shapes mainly used for industrial reasons.
more...
flex pcb

Among the Industry-Best and Largest Brands Providing Technology-Oriented Products and Services Phoenix Contact - A Strong and Reliable Partner for Cutting-edge Products and Solutions:

Phoenix Contact is a global manufacturer of electrical engineering components, systems, and solutions, with over 70 subsidiary companies in 50 countries around the world. The company was founded 80 years ago in Bloomberg, Germany, where it is headquartered today. It wasn't until 1981 that Phoenix Contact USA was founded in Middletown, Pennsylvania. Phoenix Contact USA is in fact one of the company's very first subsidiaries. Today, Phoenix Contact employs around 12,300 people with 30 sales partners around the world. The company gained its reputation when in 1987; it introduced the field bus system INTERBUS. It currently offers the following products: terminal blocks, PCB terminal blocks and PCB connectors, PCB enclosures and boxes, industrial Ethernet, industrial PC, I/O systems, signal conditioning and interface components, surge protection, and industrial connectors, cables, and cord sets.

As of 2013, Phoenix Contact has unveiled new transducers, terminal blocks, industrial PCs, surge protection, and rectangular plug connection systems. The new narrow transducers provide easy configuration and easy installation alternatives for frequency signals. They introduced two universal software-programmable temperature transducers to the MINI Analog family Sixteen layer PCB, which can convert signals from common resistance temperature detectors and thermocouple temperature sensors. They also feature The new terminal blocks, the PTIO1.5/S series, include sensor and actuator power distribution blocks, expanding the company's line of push-in technology. It is a mere 3.5 mm wide and has the highest density power distribution on the market. Its industrial PC was named the IDEA finalist and received the 2013 Industrial Design Excellence Award, based on the following criteria: innovation, benefit of society, benefit to the client, visual appeal and aesthetics, strategic value, usability, implementation. Phoenix Contact has introduced the VAL-MS BE_AR line of surge protective devices, which modernizes lightning protection for the railroad industry by combining hybrid surge protection technologies and advanced connection. In addition, it is four times faster to install than traditional AAR surge protective devices, not to mention that they carry some other significant advantages. Look for new products to be unveiled and new developments for this company in the years to come.

Allen Bradley - Growing at an Impressive Speed:

Allen Bradley is a part of Rockwell Automation, which is a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange. It is a brand name for Rockwell's line of factory automation equipment. Initially, Dr. Stanton Allen and Lynde Bradley invested a mere $1,000 in 1903 and established the company as Compression Rheostat Company. 7 years later in 1910, it was renamed Allen-Bradley Company. It wasn't until 1952 that the company's very first subsidiary was opened in Ontario, Canada. Today, that very same subsidiary employs around 1000 people. Rockwell International, which is now Rockwell Automation, acquired Allen-Bradley for a lump sum of $1.651 billion, the same year that the company set a record for over $1 billion in annual sales. Other brand names under the Rockwell Automation company name include Anorad, HIPROM, ICS Triplex, Pavilion Technologies, Reliance Electric Drives, and Rockwell Software.

Rockwell Automation had estimated revenues of $4.5 billion in 2006, which has grown to $6.26 billion in global sales of 2012. It is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and the current CEO is Keith Nosbusch. The company employs over 22,000 people while serving over 80 countries around the world. The company operates in two business segments: architecture and software, and control products and solutions. Architecture and Software is a division that is involved in information platforms, software applications, and automation components. On the other hand, Control Products & Solutions is involved in motor control products, solutions, and services. Rockwell Automation is also involved in manufacturing programmable logic controllers, human-machine interfaces, safety components and systems, drives and drive systems, motor control centers, sensors, as well as other similar systems. In addition, Rockwell Automation offers asset management services such as consulting. However, Allen-Bradley is most widely known for its low temperature sensors, which are obsolete and somewhat of a commodity today. These products are available for premium prices and usually come with calibration data to keep them running.

In recent news, Rockwell Automation has earned the US Green Building Council LEED Certification, by reducing its impact on the environment. Furthermore, it has introduced a security initiative that allows manufacturers to reduce risks from cyber-security threats. They also advanced their technology by increasing 3-D capabilities in arena simulation software, which further enables customers to analyze the results of their business simulations in more realistic environments.
more...
flex pcb