How To Machine Ceramic Parts

Many people are woefully unaware of just how prevalent ceramic parts are in the industry.

How to machine ceramic parts.

While there is a learning curve to machining macor it is certainly achievable with the correct skill and patience. Fine diamond machining full density parts ceramic parts fired to their full density are too hard for machining with tool steel cutters or even conventional methods. Today s business comprises a host of custom ceramic parts made from alumina zirconia zirconia toughened alumina steatite mullite cordierite grade a lava macor and boron nitride. Ceramic is highly prized for its thermal resistance toughness and applications in the electrical field.

Ceramic parts may be effectively machined before the final sintering stage either in the green non sintered powder compact state or in the presintered bisque state. Manufacturing by ceramic mold casting is similar to plaster mold casting in that it can produce parts with thin sections excellent surface finish and high dimensional accuracy. Manufacturing tolerances between 002 and 010 inches are possible with this process. Following a final firing when as fired tolerances are not sufficient fine diamond machining grinding using diamond impregnated cutters is often required.

Properties and considerations of manufacturing by ceramic mold casting. Corning is well know for its glass products and macor is a hybrid machinable glass ceramic that can be fabricated into intricate shapes with tolerances on the order of 0 0002 in with ordinary carbide tooling. Everything from electrical insulators to use in high powered lasers and even as durable nozzles for dispensing materials from. Conventional machining methods milling drilling turning may be applied for the ceramic parts in the presintered state.

For the low to medium volume precision work macor is a material that even a modestly equipped shop can machine into precision ceramic parts. Superior has in house capabilities to design engineer tool and manufacture these advanced ceramics in quantities ranging from one prototype part to large. Macor is a corning inc. Additionally materials like silicon carbide sic may not fit the precise definition of a ceramic material but they can still be classified as part of the ceramic family.