Instrument from SS or nonmagnetic materials?

Thanks for answer.

We are using bronze hammers. Also I know about bronze keys, but bronze is very soft material for screwdrivers and pliers..

But,for example - what about cutting pliers?

Alternative material for example -TITAN, but it's very costly...

"Alternative material for example -TITAN, but it's very costly..."

The bronze tools we used were of a type of bronze that was very hard and perhaps made of a special alloy.

Titanium tools are costly, yes, but are they more expensive than the damage they'd cause if they weren't non-ferrous? Consider that aspect in figuring the true worth (not cost) of the tool.

If you haven't already done so, search the Internet for bronze and other non-ferrous tools. Google is a good place to start.

Ok. I have check google already.

You know, here on forum we are discussing specially because here you can take experts opinions.

Any way we also can use google...

Many people don't do preliminary research before posting their questions here. If you've already done this, good for you! I'd like to think you are in the majority.

Your specialized bronze tools are actually Beryllium copper (2% Beryllium) 200ksi Tensile and RC40. They are also no spark. Used in mines, magnetic fields, anywhere Iron tools are a liability and bronze don't cut it.

Brad

Hi,

titanium (as TiAl6V4 alloy) is not really expensive if compared to

copper-beryllium (CuBe2) as the density is much less.

Tools are often not made to weight as hammers are but to volume or elasticity or strength.

Except for big tools with weight above 1 Kg price per Kg is not really important but naturally these nonmagnetic and nonsparking tools are much more expensive as production is very low.

So I would search for tools readily available from a well known supplier and then look additionally for zirconia used in cutting tools.

RHABE

If you want to source suitable non magnetic tools, the oil industry (especially in refineries) have used non-sparking tools for a long time.

While many of these are simply rubber covered steel and so useless for your purpose, there is quite a range of "bronze" tools (usually Be Cu) to choose from.

Austenitic stainless steel would not be much help because it work hardens by changing to martensite, which is magnetic.

The aluminium smelting industry also needs such tools for work on their pot lines.

If you check suppliers of tools for these industries you will probably find what you need off the shelf.

Good luck

STEEL INOX instruments would be a good way.

Hi Andrei,

You have to choose Tools made from NON- Magnetic Materials only. The selected tools should have been properly heat treated to achieve good strength & Torque.

You may consider the following two options :

1. High strength Beryllium copper alloys containing 2.7 % Beryllium. you can get good strength provided the tools are age- hardened.

I have seen such tools are being widely used in Hospitals with MRI Equipment.

2.Non-magnetic grade of stainless steel- Like UGINOX 18-12 D ( made by UGINE-ALZ, France.) The absence of strain- induced martensite enables the material to remain non-magnetic. Here again after the tools are made, they should go thro' a special solution Annealing Process- temp. range 1050 / 1080 Deg.C & cooling with Water OR forced Air. You may get further info. from www.ugine-alz.com on these types of SS.

Good Luck !!

Rangasamy.

Thank you RANGASAMI.

Well, there you go Andrei! Looks like those bronze tools we used were of BeCu. Expensive or not, they were well worth the money. I strongly recommend making an investment in the right tools for the job and damn the torpedoes. Amortize the initial cost over their useful life and you'll find they're worth it. Never skimp on good tools. It's simply not worth it.

Thank you Europium!

I too used BeCu tools, and still have a couple, but due to the toxicity of Be, I have been under the impression that they are now replacing the Be with W (Tungsten). Try Googling (is that how you spell it?) Tungsten Copper Tools.

I found Tungsten Copper Tools as in tooling but no Tungsten Copper Hand Tools.

CuBe is stronger than Ti pound for pound until the TI goes over 160ksi.

Unless you make fine dust or vaporise Be you will not have any problems. Even then you have to breath it in. If you do it is like playing Russian Roulette with 2 bullets in your Six Gun. Odds are 1 in 3 don't make it. And no test to tell which is the unlucky to die a slow painful death.

I'm doing some work with CuBe High strength to make some very small special use tools. Still building the containment for the vapors.

Brad

Brush Wellman has a relatively new Spinoidal Bronze alloy that approaches the strength and hardness of Be-Cu without the beryllium (120 ksi yield, 135 ksi min UTS.). They call it Toughmet 3.

Thanks that is where I get my CuBe from.

I need the thermal characteristics to go with the high strength, but I check it out.

Perhaps Thermomet might be more suitable to your needs then, or perhaps Moldmax V.

Try Contacting Diane Neilsen with Brush Wellman here in Houston. She can probably point you to other alloys that might be suitable as well.

Thanks but I'll use the CuBe for now. I'd have to figure van der Waals forces and all that if I change. I'm trying to get a good grip at a .25 micron. What I need is some of the Hight strength castable but no seems to have a small piece. A cubic inch or two will tell me what I need to know. So I'm having to anneal, then deform by 30% before I heat treat and I can not cut my finished product after deformation.

Brush Wellman gave me a little over 18³ inches that I'm working with.

I'll figure it out.

Brad

I'm not used to working at such small scales so I really don't have any background on it, but I thought Van der Walls forces were independent of material.

They may be, but there is no chemical bond in my assymbly and the copper works best but does not have the strength or hardness by itself for the tools I need.

K-500 Monel might be an alternative for you too.

Another alloy system you should consider are nickel alloys. Like say K-500 Monel, Or the Inconels and Hastelloys (some Incolloys are magnetic, but most are not.).

MP-35N and Elgilloy are also excellent non-magnetic high strength alloys.