VACUUMSCHMELZE presents its DURACON 45M alloy

Date
11/02/2011

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VACUUMSCHMELZE GmbH & Co. KG (Hanau) will exhibit at Euromold in Frankfurt for the second time in 2011. The world's leading trade show for mould making and tooling design and development will be held from 29 November to 2 December. VAC will present its new alloy DURACON® 45M, which offers a unique set of properties making it ideal for many plastic injection-moulding applications. VAC, a member of the Association of German Tool and Mould Makers (VDWF) since 2009, will be amongst the exhibitors at the VDWF group stand (11.0 D06). The new DURACON 45M alloy, supplied as bulk material, combines outstanding thermal conductivity, high hardness and very high tensile strength. It is ideal for use in plastic injection moulds and tooling where its high thermal conductivity can reduce cycle time and improve the surface quality and dimensional accuracy of the moulded parts. As a further advantage, the thermal expansion coefficient of DURACON 45M is identical to that of tool steels, significantly reducing the risk of stress cracks in moulds and dies. Moulds, especially plastic injection moulds, require short cycle times and maximum lifespan to ensure an efficient manufacturing process. High thermal conductivity is required to accelerate cooling for minimum cycle time, so traditionally, designers incorporate high conductivity materials such as beryllium copper (BeCu) for this purpose. These materials however are generally of low hardness and tensile strength with poor resistance to wear, cracking and fracture which reduces the tool lifespan. DURACON 45M overcomes these limitations by combining crack, wear and corrosion resistance similar to that of tool steels, with significantly higher thermal conductivity of 94 W/mK. DURACON 45M has a thermal expansion coefficient which is identical to tool steel so a composite tool of DURACON® 45M and steel is thus free from thermal stresses, resulting in moulds with an extended useful life. It also enables tools with inserts and movable cores to be produced and operated with lower tolerances. DURACON 45M is free from beryllium, which can generate carcinogenic particles and vapours during both processing and use as well as presenting problems with disposal. In mould making, DURACON 45M thus not only increases productivity and extends the quality of moulds, but also contributes to environmental protection. VACUUMSCHMELZE GmbH & Co. KG VACUUMSCHMELZE (VAC), based in Hanau, designs, produces and markets advanced materials, primarily magnetic but also with other physical properties, and related products. In 1914, the first vacuum furnace laid the foundation for today's VACUUMSCHMELZE, which has 1,500 employees. Industrial vacuum melting techniques for alloys have been in operation since 1923. VAC Group today achieves annual sales of around 350 million euros in over 40 countries and is the holder of more than 750 patents, placing it among the world's most highly innovative developers of advanced industrial materials. VAC's range of products comprises a broad array of semi-finished products and parts with superior magnetic and physical properties, inductive components for electronics, magnets and magnetic systems for use in a wide variety of fields and industries spanning watch-making and medical technology, renewable energies, shipbuilding, installation, automotive and aviation. VAC's custom solutions are developed in close collaboration with the customer, reflecting the company's expertise in materials and state-of-the-art production technology. Find out more at www.vacuumschmelze.com

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