UltraHard Materials LLC
UHM’s Processing Technique
UltraHard Materials Limited is a specialty technology company that produces precision CeTZP engineering ceramic components from its New England facility.
Unlike other processing techniques, including powder injection molding, UHM’s technique can produce relatively sturdy greenware that are sufficiently robust to be handled and machined to create the required shapes without compromising the final mechanical properties of the sintered components.
UHM's processing technique requires special polymer-ceramic blends; it has overcome the common processing problems associated with binder removal and burnout. Given below is an example of a greenware machined in the green (unsintered) state:
An example of a sintered CeTZP component that was originally machined in the green state is given below. Note that the greenware was sufficiently robust for relatively fine features to be machined into it:
Manufacturing
Stage 1 - Mixing Polymer-Ceramic Blends
Stage 2 - Pressing to produce Green Compacts
Stage 3 - Green Compact Machining
Stage 4 - Sintering
Stage 5 - Final grinding and finishing
Stage 6 - Inspection