Different Ways Of Machining Molybdenum

Molybdenum is a element with symbol ‘Mo’ and atomic number 42. Its name has been derived from Neo-Latin word ‘molybdaenum’ meaning lead, and was discovered in 1781 by Carl Wilhelm Scheele. It does not occur naturally as a free metal, and only found in different oxidation states. Machining molybdenum can be done through common metal machining processes, and therefore, no individual methods or equipments are required to produce parts with accurate dimensions.

• Tools for machining molybdenum: For machining molybdenum, tools should be sharp, firmly chucked and well supported. The machines should be sufficiently powerful, rigid and free from backlash. Tools life is shorter than expected   as molybdenum is more abrasive than other metals. It has the tendency to chip while being machined. 

• Lubricants: Machining is done without lubrication, but if they are used, the tool life can be increased and so do the cutting speed. It helps in removing fine molybdenum particles from the tools. Use of lubricants makes the various high- chlorinated oils and solvents effective in various processes of band saw cutting, turning, in reaming, drilling, tapping and in hacksaw. Sulfur-based cutting oils cannot be used in machining, electronic parts because of their poisonous effect on final properties.

• Sawing and shearing: Sawing molybdenum is the practice of that used for super alloys. The use of a soluble oil, coolant is the band saw or hacksaw cut removes the chips and lengthens the blade life. The most efficient blades used for sawing are high speed steel blades with only one tooth area.

• Milling and shaping: Milling and shaping of molybdenum is done with carbide grading tools which are normally used for casting iron. Face Milling is effective for machining plain surfaces. 

• Drilling reaming and threading: Two- lipped carbide drill is generally used for drilling. Cutting oil should be used for all the tapping, reaming and drilling purposes. Reaming is a very difficult process, the tool life is very low as compared to the other machining processes. Threading can be done in various ways. Thread cutting with single tool is one of the most popular ways. 

• Electropolishing and photoetching: The Electropolishing of molybdenum is done using two most commonly used acids- Sulphuric acid and phosphoric acid. They both provide better finishing. The baths using these acids are done under room temperature with molybdenum as anode. The photoetching process mainly done by conventional methods. It is either done chemically or electrolytically. 

Common Properties & Applications of Low Thermal Expansion Materials

Thermal expansion is the tendency of a material to change in shape, volume and area in response to the change in temperature. Fine ceramic products used to have low coefficients of thermal values in respect to changes in temperature, which depends on the bond between the atoms of the materials.

Ceramic is a known low thermal expansion material and poses excellent thermal, mechanical, chemical and electrical properties. Some common machinable ceramics are Macor, Macerite, Photoveel and more. Macor has high electrical resistivity, high dielectric strength and can withstand temperature upto 1000 degree Celsius. It can easily be machined into complicated shapes and precision parts using different traditional machining tools.

Non-machinable ceramics such as high purity Alumina, Zirconia, Aluminium Nitride, Silicon Carbide, Silicon Nitride, Boron Nitride, and more also used in various applications. It requires best ceramic machining tools and equipment such as 3 and 5 axis machining centers as well as precision measuring instruments in order to deliver quick results without compromising on the quality part.

For machining Ceramics, companies generally employ diamond tools, machining centers and jigs which are especially designed and produced to perform shaping, carving, embossing, grooving, hole drilling and tapping effectively. Many companies also use slicing machines to cut low thermal expansion materials effectively as it is not only affordable but also reduce wastage of material during the process.

Machining ceramics require clean rooms equipped with vacuum constant temperature drying machine, hot air drying machine, de-airing sealer and 5 tanks deionized water ultrasonic cleaning machine to meet requirements of the semi-conductor industry.

What is Precision Machining, Its Purpose and Applications?

Precision machining is a process in which material is removed from the component and is machined to very high tolerance. Precision machining is used in a wide range of applications in electrical, chemical and mechanical  industries. It is an advanced technology that is used to machine materials to very tight tolerance levels. Special CNC machines and diamond drill tools are used for this purpose.

Top-notch tools and equipment such as 3 axis machining centers, 5 axis machining centers, high speed drills, laser microscope, etc are used to machine  materials while holding the critical tolerance levels. The machining machines are operated by highly skilled, trained machinists and engineers. Each machined product has to gone through strict quality checks to ensure high quality products are supplied to the customers.

Various materials such as  metals, non-metals and ceramics offer an excellent blend of  properties and therefore, can be used to produce various products for various industrial niche. To know which material are perfect for your industry, you can consult the experts who would guide you about the properties and applications of each  material. Consequently, you can pick a right material satisfying your industrial needs.

Precision machining is a broad term that encapsulates milling, drilling, grinding, tapping, sawing and machining to give a material desired shape and dimensions. Since the properties of materials are different from each other, therefore, their machining requirements will also be different.The precision machining services can also be customized according to the needs of the customers. 

Machining of Aluminium Nitride and its Various Applications

Aluminium Nitride is widely used in the machining because of its outstanding ability to dissipate heat, in addition to its excellent mechanical and electrical properties. The thermal conductivity of the Aluminium Nitride is generally eight times higher than Alumina. It has offers excellent resistance to plasma erosion and wafer processing gases.

Machining Aluminium Nitride allows aluminum nitride to be used in a number of electronics applications. It is used to heat sinks, electrical insulators for lasers, electrical insulators, chip carriers, chucks, clamp rings and detectors. Machining of process involves forming, grinding and finishing. There are various types of machining tools available, which can be used alone or in conjunction with other tools.  Boring tools are used as finishing equipments to enlarge holes, which are previously cut into the material. On the other hand, cutting tools such as saws and shears are used for cutting purposes.  They are widely used to cut materials in accurate dimensions to give them a perfect shape.

For machining Aluminium Nitride products, CNC machining is also widely used. It is a computer aided technique which can be used for a wide range of equipment. It requires special software and programming to guide a machine tools perform shaping work. CNC Machining is an automatic process, and produces high production cycles, low manufacturing costs and uniform production.

Always trust a reputed company to handle your machining needs. It takes years of experience, knowledge and skills to machine a metal and use it in a number of applications.