A new challenge has been overcome by the FILMS team: no more preconceptions when it comes to skills!
FILMS opens a new chapter in the long history of the company by producing an integral blade with a size of over 1200mm; a feat not for just anyone!
The tool, intended for the hot rolled sheet metal sector and not for the tube sector, is made with a specific degree of hardmetal designed to withstand the 900ºC temperatures of the rolling mill.
A steel factory and customer of FILMS, reported the need for a carbide product with an increased lifetime which could replace the previous steel tool. Thus, decreasing or avoiding altogether downtime in production.
The enormous difficulty lay in manufacturing a hard metal object that would not oxidize at such high temperatures. The contribution of HI.Lab was fundamental in obtaining the most suitable mixture needed to overcome the obstacle resulting from high temperature oxidation. The lab researched, tested and utilized a special grade of tungsten carbide, which counteracts oxidation without having to equip the system with refrigeration.
The second challenge, once the “special” hard metal degree was identified, was creating such a long integral piece! To achieve this, it was essential to have two isostatic presses (H.I.P), which allowed the production and grinding of the dimensionally large blades without breaking them.
Once again, the FILMS’ equipment proved to be up to the task!
