By NiCoForm
NiCoForm addressed these two limitations of electroforming at the same time by developing a new family of high strength electroformable Nickel-Cobalt alloys, NiColoy®. NiColoy® has mechanical properties that match the best modern engineering metals and can be electroformed stress-free to the near-net shape of the desired object. Virtually eliminating post-machining, the use of this proprietary alloy is for the first time transforming electroforming into a cost-effective manufacturing method for a wide range of engineering applications.
A mandrel is the original that is copied to make an electroform. Mandrels can be machined out of metals such as steel, copper and aluminum or produced out of non-conductors such as plastics or silicon. Non-conductive mandrels are used when the patterns can only be generated photolithographically or by etching silicon or glass, as for holograms or microfluidic devices. To be used as originals in electroforming, non-conductive mandrels are coated with a thin conductive (seed) layer, usually by vacuum deposition. In less demanding applications, conductive silver and copper paints can be used instead. Mandrels are either expendable or reusable. Reusable, or permanent, mandrels are often made of stainless steel, cupro-nickel alloy, brass or nickel, all chemically resistant and durable metals. Expendable mandrels are destroyed during separation from the electroform. This approach is commonly used when the mandrel shape makes it impossible to mechanically separate the electroform. For instance, bellows are usually electroformed on expendable aluminum mandrels that are chemically dissolved after electroforming.
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NiColoy® is NiCoForm's class of proprietary electroformed Nickel-Cobalt alloys distinguished by the following combination of features: - Leveled, smooth matte to semi bright deposit with low internal stress - High tensile strength - Medium-to-high hardness - High modulus of elasticity - High corrosion resistance - High purity - Amenable to soldering, brazing and welding We produce two modifications of NiColoy® - high strength and high hardness, depending on the target application. The harder deposit is more suitable for mold inserts and mold repair applications. The high strength deposit exhibits a unique combination of elasticity and plasticity and is used to electroform bellows, diaphragms and other dynamic components. Please see the accompanying table and charts for a comparison of properties of the two types of NiColoy®. The high hardness alloy exhibits greater hardness and tensile strength, but lower elongation. This material's mechanical properties are closer to those of hardened tool steels, which dictates its application for mold inserts.
CATEGORY
NiColoy® is NiCoForm's class of proprietary electroformed Nickel-Cobalt alloys distinguished by the following combination of features: - Leveled, smooth matte to semi bright deposit with low internal stress - High tensile strength - Medium-to-high hardness - High modulus of elasticity - High corrosion resistance - High purity - Amenable to soldering, brazing and welding We produce two modifications of NiColoy® - high strength and high hardness, depending on the target application. The high strength deposit exhibits a unique combination of elasticity and plasticity and is used to electroform bellows, diaphragms and other dynamic components. As can be seen from the charts, the high strength alloy possesses a higher elongation than the high hardness one, and a somewhat lower strength and hardness. Such metals are conventionally described as 'ductile'. When stressed over its yield limit, the high strength alloy will plastically deform, rather than snap or crack in a brittle mode.
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Cold shields with internal baffles. Infrared (IR) radiation shields, commonly referred to as cold shields in the cooled configuration, are used to protect sensors from stray radiation in infrared cameras, missile guidance systems, imaging systems and various other devices. Electroformed with multi-layer walls of copper, NiColoy® and gold, sometimes containing internal baffles, the shields have tight dimensional and weight tolerances. Their internal and external surfaces are often coated, respectively, with high and low emissivity coatings, although other configurations and finishes are available upon request. NiCoForm offers as standard deep black and bright gold finishes on par with the best in the industry. Precision CNC machining capabilities and advanced electroforming technology guarantee high yields of cold shields with integrated internal baffles, tight dimensional and weight tolerances, resulting in quick turnaround times and competitively priced components.
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