Advanced Ceramics for
High-Tech Industries
Processes & Skills : Machined or pressed ceramics ?
Advanced ceramics parts can be obtained by different manufacturing processes : moulding, pressing, green machining, diamond grinding...The choice of one particular route compared to the other will depend upon various criteria. Microcertec is only involved with the manufacturing of precision-ground ceramic components.
Principle
The manufacturing of ceramics is done with powders. These are formed either by moulding or pressing, and then fired at high temperature well above 1200°C - called sintering. The ceramic material forms litteraly up during that sintering process and acquires its final properties. This densification stage of the material goes along with a reduction in size - shrinkage - that alters the original dimensions.
The final shape can then be achieved by various methods depending upon the required precision. If the tolerances are loose, direct moulding may be sufficient or additional machining before sintering can be operated when the material is still soft and easy to machine. If the tolerances are tight, the part will have to be ground after sintering once the material is hard.
Machining process
The various methods of powder forming are :
- isostatic pressing
- dye-pressing
- injection moulding
- extrusion
- casting
But quite often with advanced ceramics materials diamond grinding after sintering is required to achieve components with tight tolerances.
Benefits
The benefits of making advanced ceramics components with diamond grinding are :
- manufacturing of prototypes and low quantities with no expensive tool cost
- achievement of peculiar shapes
- achievement of tight tolerances.
We always optimise the manufacturing of custom-made components using the most suitable blank - block, plate, rod, tube or dedicated pressed shape - in order to improve our speed of response.