CERAMIC METAL FORMING TOOLS

Ceramic Metal Forming and Stamping Tools

Metal forming and stamping tools have long been the domain of tool steels, coated metals, and tungsten carbide. Although these traditional materials have proven their usefulness over time, a relatively new class of ceramic materials are now available from Precision Engineered Ceramics, Inc. (PEC). Dramatic performance improvements can be obtained in precision stamping tools (punches and dies), weld rolls, draw dies, rivet pins, and necking dies, when substituting the correct ceramic in place of traditional materials. Although a brief overview is given below, more specific information can be obtained by downloading the following article in pdf format: Advanced Ceramics Excel in High-Speed, Metalforming Tools,  written by Cris DiRuggiero.   Free Adobe Reader

Metal Forming Ceramic Materials

TZ-30D is a fully dense zirconium oxide ceramic material. TZ-30D’s high strength and toughness properties are ideal for fabricating punches and dies. Metal pick-up is reduced and tool life greatly extended due to TZ-30D’s engineered microstructure: no porosity, sub-micron grain structure, and no metallic binder phase. TZ-30D punches and dies have exhibited outstanding performance improvements in precision stamping of copper and phos bronze lead frames and connectors. PEC maintains inventory of TZ-30D bar stock for your punch fabrication requirements.

SSN-310 is a high-performance silicon nitride ceramic material known for its high hardness, excellent wear resistance at elevated temperatures, and low rolling contact fatigue (RCF). SSN-310 is stronger, tougher, and harder than Zirconia Toughened Alumina (ZTA) ceramic composites. Due to these properties, SSN-310 is an ideal material for metal forming applications such as weld rolls, stamping dies, and rivet pins. (pictured below)