Advanced Ceramic Machining

Astro Met, Inc. has extensive advanced ceramics machining experience and capabilities that enable us to respond to the most challenging customer requirements for precision toleranced advanced ceramic components. Our primary focus is the precision machining of advanced ceramic components, per customer design, from the advanced ceramic materials that we internally manufacture. These include our AmAlOx 68 alumina, AmAlOx 87 alumina, AmZirOx 86 zirconia, ZTA-96 zirconia toughened alumina and our distributor product, Macor Machinable Glass Ceramic. In addition, we welcome the opportunity to machine customer supplied ceramics. We have machining experience with nearly every type of advanced ceramic material currently available in the market. In addition, we work with both prototype and production quantities.

Our specific finish machining capabilities include, surface grinding, ID grinding, OD grinding, form grinding, jig grinding, diamond core drilling, ultrasonic machining and all forms of lapping and polishing. These finish machining processes can provide tolerances to 0.0001" if required. These processes are typically used to finish advanced ceramic components when tolerance requirements are tighter than ±0.005" or ±1% whichever is greater, or if surface finish and geometry need to be tightly controlled.

Otherwise we are able to provide as-fired advanced ceramic components that have been green machined in the soft chalk-like state before firing. These components are machined using more conventional lathe, milling, sawing, and grinding processes.

As-fired and green machined advanced ceramic components can be used by the customer as-received or can be considered blanks (preforms) to be further machined if needed. Astro Met's alumina and zirconia as-fired blanks are used by precision ceramic grind shops worldwide. In many cases these blanks have been green machined to near-net size and shape thus enabling the precision grind shops to minimize the amount of finish grinding required. This results in cost effective parts being supplied to the end customer which otherwise may not have been feasible without the combination of green machining and finish grinding.

So whatever challenging requirements you have for precision machined advanced ceramic components give Astro Met a call. Our Application Engineers welcome the opportunity to review your requirements.

Any Questions?

 

Astro Met, Inc.
9974 Springfield Pike
Cincinnati, OH 45215
Phone: 513-772-1242
Fax: 513-772-9080

"Advanced Ceramic Solutions For The 21st Century"