- Email: [email protected]
Hard metal designed to replace WC
product showcase Hard metal designed Kennametal makes to replace WC productivity intelligent
Scientists say the new material has bullet -proofing qualities. Finland’s VTT Technical Research Centre and Exote Ltd have developed a new hard metal which could be used to replace tungsten carbide (WC). The new material possesses excellent bullet-proofing qualities, and ballistic tests have proved its unequalled ability to stop armourpiercing bullets, according to Exote. Exote says that the new material is a more ecological alternative to WC Co, which contains tungsten carbide and cobalt, both of which are defined by the EU as critical and, in the case of cobalt,
dangerous to human health. The material withstands high temperatures and has high-level strength and durability, Exote claims. The metal is ideal for the manufacture of crusher blades and shear cutters, as well as exacting product tools. In ballistic protection it can be used for both personal and vehicle protection. VTT and Exote Ltd have carried out further development on the material Exote has in production through the use of nano additives, which enable changing its toughness and hardness according to intended use.
Kennametal has developed NOVO, a “Digital Intelligence” program which helps users plan processes more efficiently. The program is a new set of digital tools that offer tool selection, tool configuration, and the best applicable tooling advice based on the user´s part and process requirements, along with CAD models, complete assembly lists and automated job report functionality. NOVO accomplishes in minutes what can take hours, making use of Kennametal expertise, the company says. “This is a huge leap beyond simply providing a digital version of the tool and its physical properties,” claimed John Jacko, vice president & chief marketing officer at Kennametal. “With NOVO´s embedded intelligence in application engineering and process planning, Kennametal and our partners are opening the
path to a completely connected digital art-to-part-toprofit process. NOVO is a big step in bringing such a vision to reality.” NOVO is a process enabler – a true digital assistant with data-rich machining strategies that starts working from the moment you receive a parts drawing, noted Francois Gau, vice president, strategic marketing and new business development. “With a refined and intuitive tool advisor, tool selector, and tool configurator, everything down the line gets more efficient – from parts quoting through programming, presetting, and production,” he said. “The result is the absolute assurance you have the right tool to do the job.” Kennametal plans for NOVO to be integrated with CAD/CAM packages and machine tool CNC controls, so designers or programmers will have instant access to Kennametal knowledge.
Oak Ridge National Laboratory combines foam and powders Oak Ridge National Laboratory has developed Vari-k-Graphmet, a combination of highly conductive graphite foam and ductile metal powders which can broaden the use of graphite foam. Vari-k-Graphmet offers high-strength, low-mass titanium-graphite foam composites with thermal conductivities up to 20 times higher than pure titanium. Using this approach, scientists can
marry materials with dissimilar properties – for example, high strength on one surface and high thermal conductivity on the other – creating a product with the best qualities of each individually. These can be tailored to varied applications and can potentially be applied to electronics, automobile exhaust systems, brakes, LED lighting, refrigeration, power converters, heat sinks and heat exchangers.
0026-0657/13 ©2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved
Kennametal’s new NOVO “Digital Intelligence” program.
September/October 2013 MPR
37
Scientists say the new material has bullet -proofing qualities. Finland’s VTT Technical Research Centre and Exote Ltd have developed a new hard metal which could be used to replace tungsten carbide (WC). The new material possesses excellent bullet-proofing qualities, and ballistic tests have proved its unequalled ability to stop armourpiercing bullets, according to Exote. Exote says that the new material is a more ecological alternative to WC Co, which contains tungsten carbide and cobalt, both of which are defined by the EU as critical and, in the case of cobalt,
dangerous to human health. The material withstands high temperatures and has high-level strength and durability, Exote claims. The metal is ideal for the manufacture of crusher blades and shear cutters, as well as exacting product tools. In ballistic protection it can be used for both personal and vehicle protection. VTT and Exote Ltd have carried out further development on the material Exote has in production through the use of nano additives, which enable changing its toughness and hardness according to intended use.
Kennametal has developed NOVO, a “Digital Intelligence” program which helps users plan processes more efficiently. The program is a new set of digital tools that offer tool selection, tool configuration, and the best applicable tooling advice based on the user´s part and process requirements, along with CAD models, complete assembly lists and automated job report functionality. NOVO accomplishes in minutes what can take hours, making use of Kennametal expertise, the company says. “This is a huge leap beyond simply providing a digital version of the tool and its physical properties,” claimed John Jacko, vice president & chief marketing officer at Kennametal. “With NOVO´s embedded intelligence in application engineering and process planning, Kennametal and our partners are opening the
path to a completely connected digital art-to-part-toprofit process. NOVO is a big step in bringing such a vision to reality.” NOVO is a process enabler – a true digital assistant with data-rich machining strategies that starts working from the moment you receive a parts drawing, noted Francois Gau, vice president, strategic marketing and new business development. “With a refined and intuitive tool advisor, tool selector, and tool configurator, everything down the line gets more efficient – from parts quoting through programming, presetting, and production,” he said. “The result is the absolute assurance you have the right tool to do the job.” Kennametal plans for NOVO to be integrated with CAD/CAM packages and machine tool CNC controls, so designers or programmers will have instant access to Kennametal knowledge.
Oak Ridge National Laboratory combines foam and powders Oak Ridge National Laboratory has developed Vari-k-Graphmet, a combination of highly conductive graphite foam and ductile metal powders which can broaden the use of graphite foam. Vari-k-Graphmet offers high-strength, low-mass titanium-graphite foam composites with thermal conductivities up to 20 times higher than pure titanium. Using this approach, scientists can
marry materials with dissimilar properties – for example, high strength on one surface and high thermal conductivity on the other – creating a product with the best qualities of each individually. These can be tailored to varied applications and can potentially be applied to electronics, automobile exhaust systems, brakes, LED lighting, refrigeration, power converters, heat sinks and heat exchangers.
0026-0657/13 ©2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved
Kennametal’s new NOVO “Digital Intelligence” program.
September/October 2013 MPR
37