Wear parts

Manufacture and machining of blanks
Carbide production
By applying pressure the carbide powder is converted into a blank. The material will receive its near net
shape through the application of traditional machining methods (sawing, drilling, milling, turning), so that
extended machining of the sintered carbide blank is no longer necessary. The density of the blank is
approx. 50% of the sintered carbide‘s density which leads to an approx. 20% shrinkage in length.
Sintering
Die
pressing
Sintering
Blanks
Isostatic
pressing (cold)
Optional:
machining of blanks
The sintering process converts the blank into a homogeneous piece of carbide with a high degree of
hardness. When sintering hard metal (usually at a temperature of approx. 1400°C), this process is called
liquid phase sintering. In this case, the binder (e.g. cobalt) melts and wets the WC hard material particles.
After sintering, the density of the carbide is almost, or even precisely, the same as the theoretical density.
Any residual porosity which occurs after the sintering procedure may be removed through an ensuing
HIP process.
Further processing
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