Tungsten Nickel Balls-Tungsten Carbide Balls-Ceramic Balls-Silicon Nitride Balls-Chrome Steel Balls-Custom Balls

<body bgcolor="#E2E2E2"> As one of the worlds leading manufactures of High Precision we take pride in our reputation for delivering high quality balls and ball products in a wide variety of materials and tolerance grades. <br> At Precision Ball and Gauge Co., ball production takes place using a wide selection of materials as well as a wide range from standard to intermediate diameters. We also specialise in small production runs of non-standard precision balls. <br> Cobalt Binder Tungsten Carbide<br> By far the most common form of Tungsten Carbide, Cobalt binder material is made in a range of compositions with up to 25% binder. Balls are generally made of material with a 6% binder content. It is suceptible to corrosion of the cobalt binder, particularly in contact with water, and although this rarely results in structural falure it can cause severe degradation of the ball surface.<br><br> Nickel Binder Tungsten Carbide<br> Nickel binder Tungsten Carbide is far less common than cobalt binder material, is not made in same range of composition, and tends to be slightly softer. However. it offers significantly better resitance to corrosion. It is particularly usefull in valve and pump applications, and it performs well in more agressive chemical environments.<br><br> Modern Engineering Ceramics are being used in increasing volumes throughout manufacturing industry. They offer a range of interesting and often valuable properties are difficult or indeed impossible to achieve with other materials. The nature of these materials, particularly the combination of hardness and stiffness makes them ideally suited to the production of high precision balls.<br> Three materials have attracted particular attention for ball manufacture: Silicon Nitride<br> Combining hardness and toughness with low mass, Silicon Nitride offers significant advantages in high speed bearing applications, and for these reasons it is finding increaing application in arduous bearing applications such as machine tool spindles and vacuum pumps. Increasing use and production volumes have dramatically considerably reduced the once astromomic cost of the material so that silicon nitride balls can offer extremely cost effective solutions to common industrial problems.<br><br> Alumina (Aluminium Oxide)<br> Alumina is used in 2 forms for ball production. Fused Ceramic<br> Alumina balls range in colour from almost white to a creamy yellow colour. The material is very harder, but less tough than either silicon nitride or alumina. Structurally the balls perform well, but are prone to localised surface damage, which ultimtly promotes failure. Alumina balls are wideley used medical applications particularly for replacement hip joints, and in valves and pumps for agressive chemical environments. Single Crystal - Synthetic Ruby and Saphire<br> Single Crystal alumina is widely use for contact point for measuring equipment, and in this application provides good wear resistance at an effective price. Saphire balls are clear, perhaps with a blue tint, and are far less common than ruby which range in colour from almost clear to dark red, Balls are often supplied with drilled holes for mounting purposes. <br> Zirconia (Zirconium Oxide)<br> Zirconia in its partially stabilised form offers a number of useful properties. It can withstand very high temperatures without deterioration, it has a similar rate of thermal expansion to steel, it has a high toughness, and it is relatively inexpensisive. It does have a tendency to porosity, and which can prompt failure in some circumstances, and tends to make it unsuitable for high stress applications, but it is widely used in pumps and valves for agressive environments, and for measurement satndards. </body>