Experts in Wear Solutions. E6 Hard Materials

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1 Experts in Wear Solutions E6 Hard Materials

2 Our Businesses Element Six is one of the leading suppliers of innovative diamond solutions. Our materials offer cutting edge performance through either unique property combinations or by simply outperforming competing materials. From the outset, its emphasis on quality and technical innovation has led to products that offer exceptional performance under challenging conditions. The application of the group s products span most industries from automotive, aerospace, oil and gas production, construction and mining to electronics, medical instruments, glass processing and furniture manufacturing. Element Six has leadership in many of its market areas thanks to its emphasis on research and development that has created innovative solutions. Element Six s business activities are organized into distinct business areas Advanced Materials, Hard Materials, Oil & Gas and Technologies. In addition, the company has a venture capital fund to invest in innovative activities that support the growth of supermaterials. The company has production sites in Germany, South Africa, China, Sweden, The Netherlands, Ukraine, Ireland and the UK supported by global sales and service network. A central Market Support Centre based in Shannon, Ireland, provides technical and customer support throughout the group. Research is carried out at dedicated world renowned laboratories in the UK and South Africa. Element Six - Business Areas E6 Advanced Materials E6 Oil & Gas E6 Hard Materials E6 Technologies Grit Drilling Mining Novel uses Metal Wear parts Construction of diamond Wood Wear Parts E6 Ventures E6 Production E6 R&D Production and R&D will serve all businesses 2

3 E6 Hard Materials A rich tradition and decades of experience With six decades of history behind it, E6 Hard Materials has expertise in application knowledge and manufacture of tungsten carbide. This knowledge is used in the development, production and sales of hardmetals and special tools for industries ranging from construction, mining and tunnelling to mineral processing, textiles, automotive and agriculture. The focus of our business is to deliver the commercial benefits of tungsten carbide to customers through cost-effective solutions that enhance productivity. The combined hardness and toughness of tungsten carbide tools and wear parts outperform their steel equivalents significantly. E6 Hard Materials currently owns production plants in Germany, South Africa and China. Its head office is in Germany and this is supported by sales offices in the UK and the USA. E6 Hard Materials products fall into two categories: Hardmetal Products and Softrock Tools. Hardmetal Products encompass a range of tungsten carbide components and materials that have wide industrial use and include inserts for drill bits and wear parts for diverse industries. Softrock Tools cover tools and tooling solutions for road planing, mining and tunnelling, construction, recycling, trenching and soil stabilisation applications. E6 Hard Materials also manufactures industry specific products such as mill rolls for hot rolling mills, solid carbide rods, burr blanks and powder products for specialist tooling solutions. 3

4 Tungsten Carbide Products We manufacture a wide range of Hardmetal products based on tungsten carbide material. E6 Hard Materials has expertise in powder processing through to the production of complete tools. Tungsten carbide is a tough, high strength material that is particularly suitable for wear applications. A full range of graded powders are available for mining and geotechnical applications, metal forming and machining wood and synthetics. E6 Hard Materials offer effective solutions to all wear related problems and are also specialists in sintered and precision ground hardmetal components. For tooling and component production, E6 Hard Materials has its own hot isostatic pressure (HIP) sintering process. With our own manufacturing quality procedures for this process, we guarantee our customers final products that have a porous free hard metal structure. We can also provide a dedicated design and development service that can create components to customer specifications. steel industry tunneling mining 4

5 E6 Hard Materials oil & gas industry chemical industry metal cutting recycling medicine 5

6 Softrock Tools As one of the leading producers of Road Planing Picks we offer high wear and impact resistance for milling asphalt and concrete roads to various depths. Picks are available in our standard Tungsten Carbide Grade B15N and in our MASTER GRADE. Long-term test results of the Master Grade generation have shown increased life expectancy of up to 50% when compared to standard picks. E6 Hard Materials offers a range of Softrock Products that are tooling solutions suitable for virtually all mineral, asphalt and concrete applications. As well as finding application in the construction industry for foundation / pile drilling, in mining & tunnelling, Softrock tools are also used for trenching and soil stabilisation. Application areas such as crushing & recycling of wood, compost and soil preparation in agriculture and forestry are gaining in importance. All tools are equipped with wear and shock resistant tungsten carbide inserts. Customer applications and requirements are the main criteria when selecting carbide grades and tools. E6 Hard Materials is committed to the continuous improvement and development of its tungsten carbide grades for all application areas as well as introducing novel solutions. In special cases, for example polycrystalline diamond cutting inserts or, alternatively, wear protection coatings are used. road planing longwall mining roof bolting Tool design is customer oriented and exploits the considerable expertise of our technical and service personnel. E6 Hard Materials uses its long experience of tungsten carbide tool production processes to ensure that everything from base material selection through to brazing and final heat treatment are carried using the latest techniques. The final outcome is that our tungsten carbide inserts and bodies exhibit reliability combined with excellent performance in each specific application area. 6

7 E6 Hard Materials trenching drilling continous mining construction forestry MASTER GRADE FOR IMPROVED PRODUCTIVITY 7

8 Research and Development E6 Hard Materials is part of a company which believes that research & development combined with strong technical expertise and support is central to the continued growth and success. There is a long history of investment in research and the company commits around 10% of its annual revenues into this activity. This is much higher than the industry average and has helped the company gain worldwide recognition within several fields of materials research. In addition, the company s researchers work with leading university and industry groups around the world on novel material applications. For E6 Hard Materials, this research feeds through into development activities and means that innovative materials and tooling concepts are being created to the benefit of its customers worldwide. Development activities are carried out by dedicated teams at each manufacturing and production site. In addition to these resources, E6 Hard Materials can link into other key technical resources of the company such as the Market Support Centre which can help solve customer issues during product development. To meet constantly changing market demands, E6 Hard Materials application engineers are developing innovative solutions for the high-wear applications of tomorrow. We work closely with our customers so that the new materials and ideas we create combine to create solutions that match the aspirations of an increasingly demanding world. 8

9 E6 Hard Materials 9

10 l i Quality Management - Production Process Living up to Quality E6 Hard Materials stands for high and consistent quality. The ability to deliver excellent performance solutions under high wear conditions lies at the heart of all our products, whatever their application area. Living up to our quality expectations starts with the first conversation we have with our customers and the advice our sales team provides, through to delivering the products customers expect at the right time and with the performance they need. That means being a responsive, flexible partner to our customers. This can only be achieved with first-class quality products and systems in place. Our commitment to quality management means we adhere to strictly defined procedures and Quality Management Systems (QMS) in accordance with DIN EN ISO 9001:2008. The European Union s EcoManagement and Audit Scheme and certification, in accordance with DIN EN ISO 14001:2005, helps us contribute to protecting and preserving our environment. Certification in accordance with OHSAS 18001:2007 ensures our employees have job protection and security. E6 Hard Materials has been a trailblazer in the certification process. All of our offices have equivalent certification or are in the process of obtaining it in their respective regions. Z Q u a t ä e r t i f i z i e r t e DIN EN ISO 9001:2008 t s m a n a g e m e n s y t s t e m s In essence this adds up to a commitment to fulfil our customers expectations while maintaining the highest standards of care in its widest sense. 10

11 E6 Hard Materials Four steps to achieve hardness PREPARING POWDERS We produce our metal types, which vary in hardness, by starting with materials such as tungsten carbide (the hardening material) and cobalt or nickel (the bonding metal). By milling and mixing as well as by drying and the use of spray drying facilities, powders and granulates are produced for pressing. SHAPING Depending on the geometry of the product desired, we employ the latest dry, extrusion and isostatic presses. Geometries that cannot be pressed directly are shaped prior to sintering by means of milling, grinding, or turning to produce the necessary raw form (green state compact). SINTERING Sintering means using high temperatures to fuse the bonding metal (cobalt or nickel) and solidifying the hardmetal product. During sintering the green state compact shrinks by approximately twenty percent. This complex process is carried out in our computer controlled Sinter HIP facilities. SURFACES / TOLERANCES Tolerance and surface specifications that cannot be achieved in the previous stages have to pass through additional steps. The hardness of our hardmetal products requires processing with diamond tools in processes of grinding, honing, lapping, and polishing. Other procedures employed include spark erosion and water jet cutting. PREPARING POWDERS SHAPING SINTERING SURFACES / TOLERANCES 11

12 E6 Hard Materials Element Six GmbH Städeweg Burghaun Germany Tel: Fax: Sales Office Sales Office Production Plant Production Plant Production Plant Element Six (Pty) Ltd. Parry Road, Nuffield, Springs 1559 Private Bag X2, Selcourt 1567 South Africa Phone: Fax: Element Six Hard Materials (Wuxi) Co., LTD. #46, A zone, Nanfeng Economy Development Zone 1899 East Jianghai RD Wuxi National High Tech Park Jiangsu Province P.C: China Photo sources: Page 4: Stahl-Zentrum, Düsseldorf Page 4: Herrenknecht AG Page 4 + 6: RAG Deutsche Steinkohle Page 6: ASF Frästechnik Page 7: K+S Aktiengesellschaft Page 7: FAE GROUP Phone: Fax: Print date 04/