Carbide Trims Manufacturing: An Overview

Carbide trims are produced by a powder metallurgy process that starts with a compaction, which is performed under very high pressure in a mechanical press or an isostatic chamber to form a part with the consistency of blackboard chalk. A small amount of wax (i.e., paraffin) is added to increase the green strength and helps in handling the compacted shape. In this “green” state, carbide trims can be formed or shaped by conventional methods such as turning, milling, grinding, and drilling. The formed and shaped carbide is then sintered (i.e., placed in a vacuum furnace at a high temperature). During the sintering process, the carbide may shrink by as much as 20% linearly, or nearly 48% by volume. The “as-sintered” product is so firm that it approaches the hardness and wear resistance of diamond.

A critical part of carbide trims manufacturing, prior to finish grinding and assembly, is the sintering of the valve preform in a sinter-HIP (hot isostatic pressing) furnace. This step uses a combination of extreme heat and pressure to fully sinter the material , which removes any microscopic pores or flaws remaining from the compaction process. The sinter-HIP process imparts greater strength to the part than conventional vacuum sintering is able to provide, which helps to make tungsten carbide the perfect material for valves used in severe service situations.

Because carbide trims form a critical part of your valve assembly, we inspect each piece dimensionally after final finishing and/or polishing, in accordance with our fully-documented Quality Control process. This step ensures that you will be totally satisfied with the high quality and reliability of your carbide trims.

Contact us now to discuss how we can help you meet your carbide trim specifications, regardless of whether your application requires choke, gate relief, combination or vent valves....If your equipment needs to withstand severe environments, we have the solutions.