Hard metal application

Note - this comment does not directly answer your question, and may be going in the wrong direction for your application.

Is the hardness of WC(tungsten carbide) required? It sounds like a welding process like hard-facing would do the trick, but you need to explain a little more before I can confirm this. The wear layer of hard metal can be applied using many cost-effective arc welding processes, even using mechanized and robotic processes, to just about any part geometry. Thickness of >.125" is no problem. Surface finish can be improved by a subsequent machining or grinding operation. I am not a supplier, just a user of this process. I am always looking for better processes that can apply a clad layer on base metal.

The hardness of the WC is not really an issue, we generally know what we can get there. Backround-We have several hard metal/facing applications. First, tube metal with WC particle size up to 1200 microns, applied using oxy-fuel process. We do the majority of our hard facing using this technique but it is labor intensive and costly. Some of our products take as long as 24 hrs to complete. The quality of the deposit dictates we use this method, this typically has been our most agressive abrasion resistant material. We also use tube (actually the matrix and WC are mixed with a binder and a metal sheath surrounding this) and apply using GTAW, dillution with the base material is the issue here and not very fast either. We also have powders and apply using PTAW, issue here is WC particle size. We are not able to exceed 200 micron with this process, and again not very fast. On some of our products we dump up to 15 lbs. of hardmetal.

I'd really like to experiment with some furnace brazing techniques and materials, but I'm not really experienced with this process and looking for some direction in this area. I appreciate your reply and am open to any suggestions.

Can you please clarify? Is this "tube" the actual part to which you are applying a hard surface, or is it a metal matrix composite brazing/welding filler rod which you have developed?

Is your need more of the hard-surfacing of your parts for a specific use, or are you trying to develop new surfacing processes and materials for industry in general?

It's just filler rod, and ya I'm just trying to try/test new surfacing processes. We have tested countless materials using the same standard processes.

I would just like to believe that there is something out there with the same quality and improved efficiency.

This product you have sounds like a good idea, I didn't know such a thing existed. Since my surfacing applications are more for corrosion resistance, I have different experience. I still have the problems with dilution with the base metal using GTAW, and the slow deposition rates. Laser cladding, similar to PTAW cladding because the filler is a powder, is a potential technology, but some testing still needs to be done for my application. Streamlining the manufacturing process seems to be the best bet right now to reduce our costs.

Depending on the specifics of your process, this company, below, might be able to help you. They tell me they have worked with laser and wire cladding and recently installed a robotic stellite wire hardfacing work cell.

www.integrated-robotics.com. POC: Rich Dapp. cell: 603-205-3142. office: 603-766-3490. email: rich.dapp@integrated-robotics.com

Best of luck.

Hi G81,

this is a 1/8" carbide tool with 3diamonds I brazed (vacuum) on top. Diamonds are near 1/32" or 0.8mm.

May be this can be adapted to your demands.

RHABE

Can you specify what kind of problems your trying to solve? Corrosive, erosive, heavy impact, gouging with abrasion, high velocity particles?

Do you apply these yourself? We are limited by the size of part due to furnace size .

You might check ConformaClad for the cloth/WC/matrix with binder. You can find them on the net. I'm not sure they sell their cloth to others or just apply it in their own facility.

Senatorferrell,

"Can you specify what kind of problems your trying to solve? Corrosive, erosive, heavy impact, gouging with abrasion, high velocity particles?"

Our products experience a combination of all the above mentioned. I'm really just looking for ways through different processes and materials to improve manufacturing efficiency without affecting quality, because we do apply these ourself.

Yes, I've checked out ConformaClad and they are actually the reason I post the question. They have their process patented and do the work in their facility. It has been around for quite awhile, it would be nice if they provided the material to the public.

I would like to believe somebody out there is doing something similar...ofcourse w/o patent infringement. I appreciate the response.