PLATE - TRI-BRAZE® - COLD FORMING
Plasma Cutting Tri-Braze®:
Plasma cutting is another popular method for cutting Tri-Braze®. Conventional gasses and machine procedures recommended by the supplier of the equipment are usually sufficient for successful cutting. Plasma cut heat affected zones are generally shallower than cuts made with flame, however the same precautions apply.
Drilling Tri-Braze®:
Conventional equipment may be used with the following recommendations:
» Machine, work set-up and tooling should be as rigid as possible.
» Tooling should be of cobalt or high speed steel and kept sharp.
» Drills with short shanks are preferred for torsional stiffness.
» Satisfactory drilling results have been obtained using the following:
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Included drill tip angle of 150° with a split point and edge clearance of 6°.
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Feed rate of 0.001" / 0.004" per revolution for drills 1/8" thru 1".
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Feed rate of 0.004" / 0.010" per revolution for drills 1-1/32 and larger.
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Drill speeds of 10 / 20 SFPM.
» When drilling thin Tri-Braze®, the use of a mild steel back-up plate has proven satisfactory.
» Tooling should be flooded with a good grade of cooling lubricant.
Turning and Milling Tri-Braze®:
Satisfactory machining results have been obtained using the following:
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Use C-5 or C-6 Carbide
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Speed of 50 / 100 SFPM
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0.001 / 0.003 Chip Load
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Flood with good grade of coolant
Cold Forming Tri-Braze®
Moderate forming can be satisfactorily performed in all thicknesses, provided adequate power is available and proper procedures are used. Generally, the power required to form Tri-Braze® will be approximately 4 times that required for carbon steel.
The following will assist you in cold forming Tri-Braze®:
» Flame cut and rough edges should be snagged with a grinder in the bend area.
» Use the largest radii permissible. (8 times the plate thickness is generally the minimum radius with bend lines perpendicular to final rolling direction of plate.)
» If bend lines must be parallel to the final rolling direction (grain direction), the bend radius must increased (each Tri-Braze® plate is marked with the grain direction).
» Spring-back allowances must be considered and will depend on plate thickness and severity of the bend.
For the purpose of estimating forming equipment required to form Tri-Braze®, the tensile strength may be estimated by multiplying the BHN value by 500.
Lower hardness Tri-Braze® can be furnished for more severe forming requirements with a slight decrease in wear resistant properties.
Flame Cutting Tri-Braze®:
Flame cutting is the recommended method for shape cutting, piercing large holes and beveling Tri-Braze®. Conventional flame cutting procedures and fuels are satisfactory. Some hardening of the cut edges may result when the heated cut surface is drastically quenched by the larger mass of surrounding cold base metal. If machining is required on torch cut material, either allow sufficient stock removal to get below the hardened edge or preheat to approximately 400°F prior to flame cutting. As an added precaution, plates stored outside in cold temperatures (below 50°F) and plates in excess of 1-1/2" in thickness should be preheated to approximately 200°F.