Silicon Nitride parts sourcing

[Pressed]

Hello

I currently source silicon nitride parts from one of the big US ceramic companies and am wanting to re-source for lower cost; currently around $100. The part is 1" diameter x 1" tall with an axial tapered hole that has a radius on the big end. Any suggestions?

I found a company in China who sounds like they can do this but I am not sure of the technical requirments a company needs to overcome to produce these parts. Any opinions?

_______________________________________
Feeling frisky.........

http://www.tailofthedragon.com

 

[alexit]

I have not sourced SiN parts in China, but I have worked with a source to mfg blanks for our precision steel parts. I would suggest that sourcing parts of high accuracy is a long-term project. Expect many months of junk parts (do not source for production pieces in the quoted two weeks, you will not be shipping on time.)

For example, we currently pay ~120USD for turned steel blank. This part is ~Ø140x300, has mostly +/-0.1mm tolerance features but have two faces needing +/-0.05mm accuracy. Peoples Tool Company #1 (not really) quoted $38, took all our prints, and 8 months later told us they tried many times but cannot hold +/-0.1 accuracy over 120mm length. Island Tool Company took our drawings and in only one month offered us blanks with +/-0.5 accuracy. This project begin in 1999, so far we have received 15 samples from a total of three companies - all are pure junk. In one case our 8620 blank had strange visible patch, which under analysis was concentration of elements not usually found in 8620.

Figure what is worst possible parts you can accept, then give drawings for what you really want. Test 100%, every dimension and property. The suppliers are usually willing to work with you, but this takes time.

 

[Pressed]

HI alexit

This part is rough. We use a US company for the finish machining. My concerns were about the technical issues of SiN primarily.


OFF TOPIC________________________

My experience with world outsourcing is similar to what you are saying. Tools we sourced in Russia, many samples came and were good; then the shipments that followed were so bad, along with thier responce, that we just stopped dealing with them. This would have been a multi-million dollar project that the ruskies decided to play like children with.

I have sourced tools from Japan and they are generally very good. But I learned about thier way of dealing with steel that disturbed me. They recycle everything, so they actually smelt some of their own steel, even tool steel grades. I ran into trouble with a tool, material related, and they couldn't respond well.

Tool steel sourced in the US is generally produced to a commercially accepted standard and are usually tested. But those recycled steels, who knows what you get. Also I read/hear that tool steels sourced outside of US/Europe can have processing troubles. Problems stem from techical education, type of equipement which leads to the quality/cleanliness of steel, type of quality which determines if they check thier product and correct thier process.



_______________________________________
Feeling frisky.........

http://www.tailofthedragon.com

 

[Ceramicmkr]

This part actually sounds a lot like a cutting tool which we make to close to net shape in sialon silicon nitrix or composites with a silicon nitride matrix. A lot depends on the properties you need in the material and the surface finish you need on the hole, outside finsh should be easy to do many places.

 

[corrosionman]

You could try a Company called Tenmat in u.k.
They have done lots of simple wear tiles for me and I know they do precision grinding of SiNi for other clients. Cheers DW

 

[skrobinson]

Ceradyne,
Kyocera,
Coorstek
Three that come to mind.

 

[petkammi]

Hi Pressed,

Dont know if you are still looking. If you are, talk to a person by name Ron Chand. (I read in a magazine that he is with Oak Ridge National Lab, TN)

My experience with Ceramic grinding is that it requires a lot of innovative techniques in order to be cost effective. As a matter of fact, plainly asking a job shop to quote would be disastrous in terms of price (if not, then quality).....