Powdered Metals: a Time-Honored Industry with a Long Future Ahead

The time-honored technique of powder metallurgy has been around in one form or another since as far back as 3000 B.C. in ancient Egypt, and has been widely in service since the late 19^th century when mass producing low-cost, high-endurance parts, pieces, and components. You’ll find powdered metal used in any number of applications and industries: automotive, defense, medical, and maritime, to name a few. By intensively heating a powdered metal – or a corresponding powdered alloy – up to its near melting point, you can do away with many needless complexities as far as assembly and sub-assembly; you can shape the metal to the dimensions roughly desired in the final, finished part. Beyond this acknowledged flexibility, the powdering process leaves a good finish upon cooling, is well-proven to be cost effective in comparison with other types of metallurgy, and is ideal for high-volume production runs.

Since conveyor belt technology is equally suited for high-volume production runs, it only stands to reason that our Furnace Belt meshes are used commonly by the powdered metal industry. With a variety of flat, tightly-woven conveyor meshes with high, built-in heat-resistance, our conveyor belts are ideal for mass producing powdered metal parts as needed. With cost-cutting an ever-growing concern in the fabrication of metal parts, we can only anticipate that this longstanding metallurgical process has a long and profitable future ahead of itself. We know that our signature 304 stainless steel, high carbon steel, and low carbon galvanized steel meshes will leave other conveyor belts behind in their tracks.

Aluminum Recycling with Gratex

Aluminum production is an involved, labor-intensive process, primarily due to the fact that aluminum itself is never to be found “on its own,” but rather as part of a compound of various other elements, the most frequent of them being oxygen and silicon (“bauxite”). In order to refine aluminum into a usable state, one must first mix it with sodium hydroxide to eliminate all extraneous impurities. Then, one must mix the aluminum extract with cryolite (sodium fluoride and aluminum fluoride) and heat the admixture to a temperature of almost 1000 degrees Celsius. Being that aluminum is a critical mainstay of modern industry, one that has applications ranging from shipbuilding to Budweiser cans, and being that it isn’t a metal that (unlike, say, iron) is subject to corrosion, it is small wonder that such a vast industry has sprouted around the recycling and reprocessing of old aluminum for new operations.

Recycling aluminum is a very effective means both of reducing industrial waste and cutting labor costs, since it is much less painstaking process than actual bauxite extraction. That being said, the process doesn’t come without its price-tag. One must still have the means of heating old beer cans (and the like) to such a degree that they can return to a pure liquid state. Furthermore, one must have a streamlined means of conveyance of these recyclables, since in order to reconstitute significant amounts of aluminum for new usage; one must recycle a huge number of cans, plate metal, bars, etc.

This is where Furnace Belt’s Gratex conveyor belts come into play. Since our Gratex belts are built to sustain high heat exposure while still carrying minute, individual components, they are an ideal choice for aluminum recycling. In fact, we have several customers throughout the States who can attest to the quality of our Gratex conveyor belts in aiding them with their recycling operations.

Rod Reinforcement Weave: for When the Conveyance Gets Tough

One of our customers at Furnace Belt runs a business that – in part – involves the manufacturing of air brakes for semi-trucks. Beyond that critical component of what they do, they also are in the business of shredding old rubber tires, recycling the heated, re-treated rubber for any number of uses. Needless to say, the business of shredding tires and melting them down into other applications is a terrifically heat-intensive process. In order for such a process to be conducted in an orderly, automated fashion, conveyor belt mesh is needed that will be extremely resistant to searing levels of temperature, as well as providing a durable, tensile means of holding down the parts as they become recycled.

To that end, rod reinforcement mesh weaves allow for companies like our own client to incorporate industrial-strength heat resistance into the material that forms their conveyor lines. Designed by using single directional spirals (much like those in a chain-link fence, though usually more tightly interwoven), each “line” of mesh is then reinforced by a single rod that runs through its entire width. This rod gives the mesh an ability to bear considerable loads, in addition to insuring that the mesh material doesn’t expand beyond usefulness during the extreme heating process. Perfect for any number of high temperature industrial applications, the rod-reinforced weaves we make at Furnace Belt continue to supply American manufacturing with a sturdy, efficient means to an end.

Compound Balanced Weaves: Ideal for Smaller Components

In the case of an industrial process like the metal working of small components, a lot of hard work and man-hours can go to waste if the right conveyor belt isn’t used. Think of the size of many of the nuts, bolts, and screws that go into assembling whatever application you ultimately intend. Think of the dimensions that each of these applications takes up – oftentimes close to nothing, right? To insure this problem of “component leakage” never occurs, we fortunately have the compound balanced weave.

Named so on account of its compactness, these particular types of balanced weaves consist of a seamless, ”compounded” series of left-hand and right-hand spirals. Generally fabricated from much the same materials as are common balanced weaves, these meshes have an interlocked firmness to them that is a distant cousin of medieval chain mail. The sheer accumulation of mesh-links allows for the mesh belt to sustain considerably heavier loads than can the lighter, more interspersed “common” balanced weave. At Furnace Belt, our own compound balanced weaves can be built to endure a hefty 8.14 lb/ft², making them ideal for bearing small metal components of considerable mass.

A Little about the Work We Do with Balanced Weaves

One of the driving-force mainstays behind American food processing is the balanced weave conveyor belt. The weave’s superior tensile strength allows whatever is placed upon it to remain firmly in place, without getting stuck or otherwise disturbed in the conveyance. Furthermore, the material from which it is made (most usually high carbon steel, galvanized materials, 304 stainless steel, 314 stainless steel, or 316 stainless steel) has an incredibly high heat resistance. Finally, the sheer diversity of its possible mesh designs allows it to comport with any number of different sized and shaped items on its total surface. The most common mesh of conveyor belt in the world, it is ideal for use in baking, food transfer, food packaging, as well as usable in glass-work, ceramic firing, and metal fabrication.

At Furnace Belt, we have made it our business to manufacture and sell balanced weave furnace belts for many years now. Being one of our staple products, we offer balanced weaves in a considerable number of varieties, weights, cross sections, wire gauges, and wire diameters. For more about our handiwork, come and check out our website page devoted exclusively to balanced weave furnace belts.

How Metal Mesh Belting Keeps You On The Road

Are you planning a road trip this upcoming holiday weekend? Last year, an estimated 45.1 million Americans traveled by car during Labor Day weekend, and it was our conveyor products that helped commuters reach their desired destinations. Our wire mesh belts help automotive engineers produce necessary car components – such as torque converters, pistons, and drive gears – that keep your car running properly and your vacation plans intact.

Sintering is often used to build high-strength parts from powdered metal material. Numerous automotive components are constructed from powdered metal, which is heated in a sintering furnace below its melting point until its particles adhere to each other and create a solid, hardened form. Automobile factories use automation equipment, such as our metal conveyor belts, to easily transport mass quantity products from one stage of production to another, even under extremely hot conditions.

Due to its high-strength and heat-resistance, metal mesh belting from FBC is employed in many high-temperature conveying applications, and is particularly used for the production of parts that are manufactured using industrial ovens. To produce various car parts, automotive engineers place powdered metal onto a wire mesh belt. The conveyors then move the powdered metal through a sintering oven where they are formed into various automotive components. In fact, our metal belts help produce over 50 powdered metal parts found in Ford Edge car models. Because of our conveyor belts, automotive engineers can produce mass components faster and cheaper than through manual operations.

So, next time you get the urge to hit the road, you can thank FBC for assisting automotive manufacturers in the production of those necessary car components that get you where you need to go. Happy driving!

Furnace Belt Will Showcase Innovative Belting Solutions at EPMA Conference in Barcelona

Furnace Belt is proud to announce that we will be participating in the European Powder Metallurgy Conference this October in Barcelona, Spain. Located at stand 13, FBC will be displaying samples of our most popular conveyor belt products. We will also be showcasing two of our latest wire metal belting innovations: balanced extra flat (BEF) weave and a new type of edge finishing!

Balance extra flat (BEF) weave is designed to better meet the needs of consumers who specialize in high-temperature, heavy-duty applications. This round-wire woven metal conveyor possesses a thickness based upon two spiral wire diameters and one cross-rod wire diameter – and has just a hair of clearance to allow the mesh to be properly assembled. These features create a more uniform, flatter surface than currently exists with most conventional, round-wire weaves, such as balanced weaves. The advantage of this flattened wire weave is that it presents little to no unwanted stretch or camber compared with other standard weave products. In addition, FBC will also be showcasing a new type of edge finishing, which offers a stronger alternative to traditional weldware.

The EuroPM2011 International Conference and Exhibition will be held from October 10th-12th, 2011 at the ultra modern Centre de Convencions Internacional de Barcelona (CCIB). The main program will consist of more than 200 oral and poster papers covering all aspects of the science and technique of powder metallurgy. FBC President, Joe Tatone, and Vice-President, Tony Dicenso, will be in attendance and are looking forward to speaking directly with attendees about the company’s latest product innovations. Come join us at stand 13.

To learn more about our new, innovative belting solutions, contact FBC today.