As is the case in most advancements in manufacturing, the driving force is technology. The speed at which it has advanced in the past decade is astounding. The demand is increasingly for new and improved materials to meet the requirements of the latest devices. In this era, custom alloys are increasingly becoming the device of choice to satisfy the most recent and even future appetite of technology.
What Are Alloys – Custom or Otherwise?
An alloy is a blending of two or more metals or substances. They can be as simple as two metals e.g. gold and silver. They can also combine several. The dominant metal in this blending of materials is the main, parent or base metal. The other metal, metals or material is the alloying agent. The percentage of the main metal is always greater than that of the alloying agent. The percentage of each alloying agent depends upon the requirements, the properties and the capabilities of the different substances. In all blends, the goal is to produce a specific metal that will imbue the substrate material with the desired qualities or properties.
The only difference between an alloy and a custom alloy is intent. The fabricator is searching for a unique solution. He or she combines diverse metals or other materials to produce a specialty or custom alloy for a specific purpose – to meet a specific and unique application.
Common Parent Metals
A list of common bases or parent metals for a custom alloy contains little to no surprises. Although the goal is to crate unusual and unique alloys, the starting point is readily identifiable. The list of common parent metals includes some very familiar metals such as:
* Copper
* Gold
* Nickel
* Palladium
* Platinum
* Silver
* The addition of other elements in specific percentages makes custom alloys challenging and special
* Applications of Custom Alloys
* A custom alloy finds use in a variety of specialty industries. It is employed in several fields including:
* Aerospace
* Automotive
* Fuel cell manufacturing
* Fiber optics
* Military optics
* Research equipment, usually microscopes and other optical instruments
The use of optical devices in the military, e.g. night vision equipment, requires special attention be paid to the lenses. The ability of such items to perform optimally depends largely on the coating that covers the lens. These high-end devices require unique coatings – ones only achieved by using a custom alloy.
This same category of alloy is used to coat other optical devices –scientific, medical and military including:
* Binoculars
* Microscopes
* Telescopes
As technology continues to further evolve and companies increase their demands for new and unique solutions, fabricators will respond in kind. Like the alchemists of old, they will conjure up new and exciting custom alloys.
