30/06/2010
As precious as gold and virtually as hard as diamond – CBN manufacturer swears by CERATIZIT
Customer report on economic production at Bonar. Interview included! |
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Luxembourg (headquarters), June 2010
At the Bonar company, a CBN manufacturer based in the Czech Republic, carbide from CERATIZIT is applied in high-pressure synthesis. Bonar chairman František Homola extols CT: “CERATIZIT helped Bonar in the field of development and optimization which enabled us to improve production, making it notably more economical.” In two facilities the 15 Bonar employees manufacture mainly monolithic inserts made of polycrystalline boron nitride (P-CBN), achieving several million euros of turnover every year. Bonar is one of the few companies which produce the cutting material P-CBN and has therefore gained unique sales propositions (USP) in this niche. For example, Bonar was the first company producing inserts with a height of 8 mm whereas previously the limit was 6.35 mm. Thanks to this extraordinary achievement Bonar was able to convince companies to switch from ceramic to P-CBN.
CBN for machining hard materials
CBN has been known as a cutting material for almost 40 years. In 1969 General Electric launched cubic boron nitride under the name ‘Borazon‘ as a revolutionary development in the field of ultra-hard grinding materials. At the time it was more expensive than gold. CBN does not occur naturally but is produced synthetically (through high-pressure synthesis) and it is the hardest material after diamond, almost twice as hard as silicon carbide (SiC). It shows its strengths particularly when turning hard materials (hardness > 58 HRC), such as hardened steel or chilled castings: CBN is characterized by extreme hardness and excellent heat resistance as well as sufficient toughness for this application area. At temperatures of over 700° Celsius CBN shows even higher hardness than diamond.
High-pressure synthesis represents a highly precise sintering procedure for densification which implies pressures between 4 and 6 Gigapascals and temperatures between 1300°C and 1600°C.
Short interview with František Homola, chairman & CEO of Bonar a.s. in the Czech Republic
What are the main application fields of CBN?
CBN, whose hardness is only excelled by diamond, was developed to machine materials which cannot be machined with PCD or monocrystalline diamond. At present the main application fields of CBN are cast iron materials with a hardness starting at around 45 HRC, grey cast iron, Cr chilled castings and alloys for wear parts on cobalt, nickel or cast iron basis.
Why does Boran rely on carbide? Are there alternative materials?
There are different processes worldwide for synthesis, and in all these processes carbide plays an important role. For us it transpired that carbide really is the only suitable material for high-pressure synthesis combined with quality reinforcements.
How important is the quality of the carbide for you?
The quality of the carbide is of course extremely important as it influences the profitability of the entire production process. CERATIZIT has managed for years to provide first-class carbide grades of consistent quality and has thus convinced us. The service life of carbide dies is several thousand synthesis processes (one process taking 30 minutes on average) and depends on the quality of the steel reinforcement. We trust the CERATIZIT quality.
What are the trends in the fields of CBN production and how does Bonar react to these?
Bonar mainly machines monolythic inserts made of cubic boron nitride (solid CBN) in standard forms and dimensions. In past years there was an increased trend toward CBN inserts. So Bonar included these CBN inserts in their product portfolio. When it comes to production, there is a tendency towards lower temperatures and reduced pressure to protect the tools. In this context it is important to find the correct catalyzer (chemical material) which has the same effect when both temperature and pressure are decreased.
What do you particularly appreciate about CERATIZIT?
In addition to the consistent high quality we also appreciate the support of CERATIZIT. CERATIZIT engineers helped Bonar in the field of development and process optimization which enabled us to improve production, making it notably more economical.
The carbide specialist CERATIZIT is synonymous with “hard material matters”
CERATIZIT S.A. is a pioneer and global player in sophisticated hard material solutions. The company operates from Mamer, Luxembourg. CERATIZIT is the world market leader in unique and consistently innovative hard material products for wear protection and cutting tools and is present in more than 50 countries. In the automotive industry, mechanical engineering, oil industry, medical systems, electronics as well as mould and die making customers benefit from this fact. With more than 400 active patents and 4,000 employees, CERATIZIT is your high-powered partner worldwide.
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