Blog Archives

Metal Wear

What Is Wear?

November 25, 2020

Walking across a grocery store parking lot, six-year-old Danny stumbled, fell down and did further damage to his already worn jeans.  He looked up with little tears in his eyes and said, “Daddy, maybe you should get me pants made out of steel!”  That got Daddy to thinking: What really is wear and what makes…

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MetalTek Alloys

Alloy Numbering Systems

November 25, 2020

Surfing around the reaches of cable TV the other night, we came across an airing of Atlas Shrugged.  In the book/movie, Hank Rearden has developed a brand new light-weight high-performance alloy for railroads that threatens to revolutionize the industry.  Called “Rearden Metal” (once his career-savvy Marketing guys get a hold of it), Hank is protective…

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MetalTek Experts

MetalTek International Glossary of Metal Casting Terms

November 25, 2020

If you Google “Casting Terminology”, you get over 50 million results.  Some of the results will show you a never-ending list of terms so here is a reduced list of select terms that you should be familiar with as a current or potential user of metal castings.  To see a complete list of terms on…

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Hub Body

5 Examples When Castings Were Better Option vs. Fabrication or Forging

November 25, 2020

Partnering with a supplier that brings a full range of metalworking processes lets you be confident that you are getting the best metalworking advice – and not just being sold on an idea because it is the only answer a supplier has. The replacement of multi-piece weldments or highly-machined hogouts by single piece castings has…

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Centrifugal Casting Process Graphic

Centrifugal Casting Process: Advantages and Limitations

November 24, 2020

Advantages Centrifugal Casting Eliminates Mid-wall Defects The centrifugal process does not rely on discrete risers or feed points to ensure the absence of trapped porosity. Rather, the inner diameter remains fully liquid during the solidification process, resulting in a continuous supply of metal to feed areas of contraction. Unlike conventional gravity or static castings that…

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Bronze Bushings

Bearium Alloys

November 24, 2020

For over 60 years, Bearium® Metals have been chosen for performance under the toughest operating conditions. These are high lead tin bronze alloys containing virgin copper, tin, and specially processed lead. Bearium® metals can be used where other bearing materials may fail due to speed, load, temperature, or where lubrication is difficult, impossible, or simply…

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Lemonade

Refractory Metals

November 24, 2020

When it’s really hot, it seems like your energy and strength just get sapped.  Metals used in high temperature applications do not have the luxury of relaxing with a cool drink.  Fortunately there are metals out there that keep on going when things get really hot.  Among those are the refractory metals.    Refractory metals are…

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MetalTek Alloys

What Are Cobalt-Based Metals?

November 24, 2020

Cobalt Metal Properties Cobalt based metals are alloyed with chrome, nickel, and tungsten. Due to the high cost of these alloys, they are used where severe conditions prevail and require high temperature strength and hardness, excellent wear, galling, corrosion, and/or erosion resistance. Due to the high chromium content (25% – 30% for the grades listed…

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MetalTek Alloys

Material Applications: Corrosion Types

November 24, 2020

No engineering alloy is immune to corrosion; each has its own corrosion rate depending on the environment in which it is placed. This paper identifies some common types of corrosion, what the results of its presence may be, and how it may be minimized. What Are The Different Types of Corrosion? Uniform Corrosion This mode…

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Non Ferrous Metal Casting

Material Applications: Wear Resistance

November 24, 2020

Wear is probably the most common cause of material replacement in the industry. Bushings and bearings are common examples of components which must provide metal-to-metal wear resistance.  Wear is a universal constant in moving equipment in all applications. In some applications like food processing, the use of certain materials that provide superior wear resistance (copper-based…

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