Ceramic Machining

Ceramic Machining

Among the many products produced by ceramic machining, it is not surprising that defense contractors have found ways to benefit from the unique qualities that ceramics offer; recent advances in the development of ceramic body armor have shown great potential. Because of their high resistance to compressive strength and their ability to distribute impact force, some ceramics varieties can stop bullets and reduce potentially dangerous force to wearers of ceramic armor. Ceramic armor has even been applied to vehicles because of its light weight compared to metal plates and other kinds of armor. All of these ceramic products must be formed before they become usable. Ceramic machining is just one of many ceramics forming processes.

Before ceramics can be machined, their raw materials must first be developed. The first step in the ceramics forming process is milling. Milling is another word for any crushing, pulverizing, compressing or other forceful process to which the raw materials used in ceramics forming are subject. The next step, batching, is the process of apportioning the milled materials in preparation of their mixture with other materials. Raw materials are then combined during the mixing phase, and it is during the forming phase where machining becomes important. Forming processes include extrusion, pressing, slip casting and several other processes. After formation, the product is then dried and prepared for firing, which is the last phase in ceramics production, except in cases where finished ceramic products are polished, branded or otherwise subject to surface treatments. Firing causes chemical changes to raw ceramic materials; these changes involve the bonding of oxides and carbides to materials like aluminum and silicon. Not all ceramic formation methods follow the same steps. Extrusion, for example, is a simultaneous formation and firing process from which finished ceramic products like tubing and channels emerge. Every formation method depends on the intended application and the composition of the raw materials.