Ceramic Socket Cap Head Fasteners

Making a Great Fastener Even Better!

Socket cap head fasteners are already a widely used, versatile fastener ideally suited for OEM assembly lines...

• Hex Socket Minimizes Tool Slippage
• Side-Applied, or Inline Drive Force Tightening
• Ideal for Zero Clearance Applications

Ceramics make it even better, raising the bar on potential applications, including high temperature, corrosion and high wear, high and low voltage, and leak-free vacuum and pressure environments.

A service temperature of 1650°C, non-magnetic, wear resistant, non-corrosive, non-conductive and biocompatible. A better socket cap head fastener, from Ceramco, Inc., one of the growing family of stock ceramic fasteners, in-stock and available for immediate delivery.

Ceramco’s solid ceramic socket cap head fasteners are molded (not machined) using our near-net shaping process, then fired to full density. They are available in both Metric and U.S. inch, in various sizes and lengths. Material compositions include alumina, zirconia and ZTA (zirconia toughened alumina).

Solid ceramic socket cap head fasteners from Ceramco are the solution for applications in which metal alloy or plastic fasteners fail or simply do not possess the properties demanded by the environment in which they must exist. Although fully threaded, Ceramco recommends engaging no more than five threads. Matching solid ceramic hex nuts and solid ceramic flat washers also available.

Order Ceramco’s ceramic socket cap head fasteners online at www.ceramicfasteners.com, or call +1 (603) 447-2090 (M-F, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm, U.S. Eastern) for immediate assistance.

In 1990 Ceramco pioneered the manufacture of solid ceramic fasteners as an outgrowth of its primary business: OEM ceramic components. Everything is manufactured under the watchful eyes and guidance of the same highly trained, expert engineers in Center Conway, New Hampshire, USA.

One Hex that is a Blessing in Extreme Environments

A service temperature of 1650°C, non-magnetic, wear resistant, non-corrosive, non-conductive and biocompatible. It’s not magic. It is a solid ceramic hex head fastener from Ceramco, Inc., one of the growing family of stock ceramic fasteners, in-stock and available for immediate delivery.

Ceramco’s solid ceramic hex head fasteners are molded (not machined) using our near-net shaping process, then fired to full density. They are available in both Metric and U.S. inch, in various sizes and lengths. Material compositions include alumina, zirconia and ZTA (zirconia toughened alumina).

Solid ceramic hex head fasteners from Ceramco are the solution for applications in which metal alloy or plastic fasteners fail or simply do not possess the properties demanded by the environment in which they must exist, including:

• High Temperature Environments
• Corrosive, High-Wear Environments
• High & Low Voltage Environments
• Leak-Free, Vacuum Environments

The six flats on the fastener’s hexagonal head accommodate a secure tool grip from various directions. Hex head fasteners do not require inline access for tightening, making them an ideal choice in applications where space is limited. Although fully threaded, Ceramco recommends engaging no more than five threads. Matching solid ceramic hex nuts and solid ceramic flat washers also available.

Order Ceramco’s ceramic hex head fasteners online at www.ceramicfasteners.com, or call +1 (603) 447-2090 (M-F, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm, U.S. Eastern) for immediate assistance.

In 1990 Ceramco pioneered the manufacture of solid ceramic fasteners as an outgrowth of its primary business: OEM ceramic components. Everything is manufactured under the watchful eyes and guidance of the same highly trained, expert engineers in Center Conway, New Hampshire, USA.

Fully Threaded Solid Ceramic Studs Introduced

Fully threaded solid ceramic studs are available in both Metric and U.S. inch, in various sizes and lengths. Material compositions include alumina, zirconia and ZTA (zirconia toughened alumina). Ceramic studs, as with all our ceramic fasteners, are the solution for applications in which metal alloy or plastic fasteners fail or simply do not possess the properties demanded by the environment in which they must exist, including:

• High Temperature Environments
• Corrosive, High-Wear Environments
• High & Low Voltage Environments
• Leak-Free, Vacuum Environments

Studs are often specified for applications in which the fastener length may vary or is not readily known. Both ends of Ceramco’s ceramic studs are chamfered to accommodate Ceramco’s matching ceramic hex nuts and can utilize our ceramic flat washers. Although fully threaded, Ceramco recommends engaging no more than 5 threads on either end.

Order Ceramco’s ceramic studs online at www.ceramicfasteners.com, or call +1 (603) 447-2090 (M-F, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm, U.S. Eastern) for immediate assistance.

In 1990 Ceramco pioneered the manufacture of solid ceramic fasteners as an outgrowth of its primary business: OEM ceramic components. Everything is manufactured under the watchful eyes and guidance of the same highly trained, expert engineers in Center Conway, New Hampshire, USA.

Zirconia Toughened Alumina Fasteners in Eight Head Styles (both Metric and U.S. Inch) Added to Ceramco’s Comprehensive In-stock Inventory

ZTA, a combination of zirconium oxide and aluminum oxide, results in a fastener 20-30% stronger* than an alumina fastener of comparable size. ZTA fasteners provide the higher service temperature of alumina and the toughness of zirconia. These composite ceramic ZTA fasteners can often meet the necessary design criteria in which zirconia fasteners are specified, at a lower price point.

Ceramco’s ZTA fasteners are available in Phillips pan and flat head, slotted pan and flat head, cap head and hex head in a wide range of lengths in both Metric and U.S. Inch with matching hex nuts and flat washers also inventoried. ZTA cheese head fasteners (metric only) are also available. Orders received by noon (U.S. Eastern) Monday-Friday for fasteners in inventory, ship same day. When not immediately available, lead time will be provided.

Order Ceramco’s ceramic fasteners online at www.ceramicfasteners.com, or call +1 (603) 447-2090 (M-F, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm, U.S. Eastern) for immediate assistance.

In 1990 Ceramco pioneered the manufacture of solid ceramic fasteners as an outgrowth of its primary business: OEM ceramic components. Everything is manufactured under the watchful eyes and guidance of the same highly trained, expert engineers in Center Conway, New Hampshire, USA.

* No guarantee should be assumed or is implied.

ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
Short Course on Additive Manufacturing of High-Performance Ceramics

April 6, 2019

Presented by American Ceramic Society

Thomas Henriksen Ceramco’s President and Ceramist will be sharing Ceramco’s real-world experiences in additive manufacturing of ceramics with the attendees. Thomas is one of the eight speakers, representing various disciplines, speaking at this short course presented by the American Ceramic Society.

Attendees will learn about the economic and technical aspects of additive manufacturing (AM) ceramics, with an overview of state-of-the-art production methods, gaining insight into its opportunities and limitations. A basic understanding of appropriate applications, systems implementation into their production chain and the pros and cons of different technologies will also be explored.

April 29, 2019—8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. | Cleveland Airport Marriott, Cleveland, Ohio | Held in conjunction with Ceramics Expo 2019

• Find out more
• Register for this course

ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
Current & Future Advances in Additive Manufacturing of Ceramic OEM Products

In a video interview, Ceramco’s President, Thomas Henriksen, discusses with Shawn Allan the current and future technological advances in lithography-based ceramic manufacturing (LCM). This process is also called: “Additive Manufacturing’ and “3D Printing.”

Subjects covered in this interview include alternate light sources, the build platform, DLP, failure detection, faster speeds, greater pixel count, higher resolution, larger parts, light scatter, post-processing, surface quality, surface roughness and technology advancement.

Ceramco was the first manufacturer in the United States to have AM (additive manufacturing) capability for ceramics. Recently they doubled their AM production capabilities, adding a second machine.

For more information on Lithoz or its equipment, please contact Shawn directly at Lithoz America LLC.

CERAMIC FASTENERS
Independent Laboratory Test Results on Mechanical Properties of Ceramic Fasteners from Ceramco, Inc.

Certain Ceramic Fasteners - Mechanical Properties

Introduction

Ceramic materials excel where metallic or plastic substitutes simply cannot provide the necessary performance. High wear situations, electrical or thermal insulating applications, corrosive environments, or instances where magnetism, biocompatibility, or outgassing are concerns for many cutting-edge fields. As the extreme performance demands of oil and gas extraction, chemical detection, or deep space exploration (to name a few) go un-met, engineers and designers are turning to ceramic materials to address the performance gaps. Ceramco’s line of stock solid ceramic fasteners are the coupling solution when the standard falls short.

Ceramco’s solid ceramic fasteners continue to generate considerable interest since they were offered commercially in 1990. With increased interest and exposure has come an increasing desire for mechanical properties (such as recommended installation or service torque and tensile strength) from customers seeking to utilize these fasteners in their applications. To better understand the capabilities of our products and meet the demands and requests of our customers who are becoming more technically advanced in aggregate, Ceramco has obtained unbiased, third-party data based on industry standard test methodologies. As testing continues, these data will help drive and guide material and process development within the company and expand our product offerings.

Additional preliminary research and prototyping of Ceramic Matrix Composites (CMCs) and Zirconia Toughened Alumina (ZTA) fasteners has already begun, and a new line of ZTA fasteners will be launched in 2020.

Sampling

An initial 800 piece lot of high purity alumina (99.8% Al2O3) fasteners was submitted to an independent laboratory to begin testing, with supplementary lots of varied materials (stabilized ZrO2) and sizes forwarded thereafter. Submitted lots were evenly divided for destructive Tensile and Torsion testing. Sizes and compositions tested to-date are in Table A.

Test Method

Engineered ceramics of the high-purity oxide type have high relative hardness and correspondingly low ductility. As such, test results would show no definable separation between proportional and elastic limits, thereby limiting the utility of NDT. Acknowledging these inherent issues from the outset, Ceramco elected that all testing would be destructive.

Testing was conducted per the methodologies outlined by ASTM F606/F606M Standard Test Methods for Determining the Mechanical Properties of Externally and Internally Threaded Fasteners, Washers, Direct Tension Indicators and Rivets.

Tested sizes were selected based on historic customer demand (though length was determined by the test facility based on fixturing needs) and tailored to ensure that the range of tested sizes would allow for reasonable extrapolation for uncommon and non-standard sizes. Test specimens were randomly selected from current and former production lots, packaged to maintain randomization, labeled for size and material and delivered to the test facility.

Test Summary

In general, obtained data well represented the normalcy and distribution anticipated of engineered ceramic materials tested in tensile and torsional modes. Similarly, the obtained data have a high degree of conformance with data obtained via internal testing, confirming the validity of historically accepted values and the verification practices employed by Ceramco for both production materials.

Results: Tensile

Tensile strength is not often requested by potential customers since ceramics are not traditionally used for their performance in this area. However, tensile strength is one of the most commonly used measures of material performance which will allow for more appropriate design and use if known, or if retrofitting an existing assembly using other materials. Further, understanding the tensile strength of ceramic fasteners will help Ceramco continue to innovate by establishing a baseline against which new or novel materials may be measured.

As noted above, the test facility recorded and reported the maximum values obtained during destructive testing.

Being sufficient for most ceramic fastener purposes, the high purity alumina (A998) fasteners were tested and analyzed first, see table B.

Making use of zirconia (ZrO₂) in the manufacture of ceramic fasteners allows Ceramco to enhance fastener performance for more rigorous and/or unique applications. See table B for stabilized zirconia fasteners’ tensile strength.

For customers seeking to load ceramic fasteners in a purely tensile mode, or whose application may induce tensile loading during use or operation, Ceramco has delineated the Proof Strengths in Table B. Customers should ensure that their application does not exceed the values listed.

Results: Torsion

As mentioned above, monolithic ceramic materials are inherently brittle. This fact alone makes proper installation torque critical to the function and utility of a ceramic fastener, so it is of little surprise that torque requirements are chief among fielded fastener-related inquiries at Ceramco. Luckily, torsion is the most tangible and easily measured mechanical property an end-user is likely to encounter while working with fasteners. Established limits allow a customer or end-user to simply set a torque wrench and install the fastener without over-tightening and shearing the head off.

As with tensile testing, all torsional testing was destructive. Recorded torsional data on alumina fasteners displayed good correlation with historic data gathered internal to Ceramco, returning torsional strengths between approximately 0.4 and 40.42 in*Lbf., respective of fastener size.

As with tensile testing, the results from torsional testing showed increased performance in the zirconia fasteners. It should be noted that, while there is an apparent inversion point in the comparison of ZrO₂ versus Al₂O₃ around Ø.230, this is due to a slight over-performance in the ¼”-20 tpi alumina fasteners tested. Further analysis by fractography may help us understand that phenomena, where it is suspected that the same processing conditions but over different cross sections, can affect grain size in the ceramic body. The alumina was perhaps made more optimally at that particular size, but more work is needed to fully explain the anomaly.

Ceramco recommends consistent and progressive loading when applying torque to ceramic fasteners, as erratic or off-axis loading may lead to premature fastener failure. It should also be noted that perpendicularity and parallelism between joined members is crucial to mitigate application of bending moments which can have a deleterious effect on ceramic materials. Ceramco has established the below listed (maximum) service torque values (Table C) for customers whose application(s) may be dependent on specific torque or preload requirements

About Ceramco, Inc.

Ceramco specializes in the production of custom ceramic parts with complex geometries, matching the appropriate manufacturing technique to your order’s requirements. Our capabilities include: high and low-pressure injection molding (LPIM and HPIM), MicroPIM and 3D Printing (Additive Manufacturing) for rapid prototyping and in production quantities. Our manufacturing is supported by our own materials formulation, engineering, tooling & machining. We also manufacture and inventory alumina and zirconia bolts, nuts and flat washers, in both metric and SAE sizes and market them via e-commerce. ISO 9001 and ITAR certified. Ceramco, Inc. was founded in 1982 and is located in New Hampshire’s Mount Washington Valley.

ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
An Industrial Perspective on the Process of Additive Manufacturing of OEM Ceramic Components

In this video interview with Thomas Henriksen, President and Ceramist, viewers will gain an industrial perspective on the process of 3D printing itself and learn how 3D printing (additive manufacturing) of ceramic components compares to Ceramco’s’ conventional ceramic parts manufacturing: ceramic injection molding or CIM.

Ceramco is the first manufacturer in the United States to have 3D printing capability for ceramics, giving them the edge over their competition to develop this technology and make it available to the market from a company based in the United States.

Subjects covered in this interview includes acronyms, strengths, weaknesses, benefits, material similarities to injection molding, and mechanical properties.

microPIM MANUFACTURING
Injection Molding of Ceramic Components as Small as 0.05 Grams Now Available from Ceramco, Inc.

Thomas Henriksen, President of Ceramco, Inc., Center Conway NH (USA) announced this latest addition to Ceramco’s high volume PIM (powder injection molding) offerings. “This extension of our near-net shaping capability aptly named: ‘MicroPIM,’ is allowing us to produce ceramic components as small as 0.05 grams and in production quantities.”

Ceramco’s MicroPIM utilizes many of the alumina or zirconia production formulations Ceramco currently uses for its high-volume manufacturing of larger components. “The incredibly small scale of MicroPIM, requires careful adjustments to the feedstock to achieve a very low viscosity. Other than that, it is virtually the same process Ceramco has been using successfully for 30 years. Everything is just much smaller.” added Henriksen.

MicroPIM-formed ceramic components are already found in applications including: fiber-optic ferrules and wire bonding nozzles. Also, they are serving more broadly defined markets including: medical and electrical interconnects.

Ceramics step-in when metal alloy or plastic components fail, or simply do not possess the properties demanded by the harsh environments in which they must perform. MicroPIM-formed components expand upon Ceramco’s ability to offer customers a ceramic alternative. “Never again will I have to tell a customer: ‘the part you’re asking us to make is too small,’” added Henriksen.

Please watch our YouTube video on microPIM

HPIM MANUFACTURING
Ceramco, Inc. Acquires HPIM Technology from Advanced Cerametrics, Inc.

Thomas Henriksen, President of Ceramco, Inc. and Bud Cass, Board Chairman of Advanced Cerametrics, Inc. (ACI) today jointly announced the sale of ACI’s high pressure ceramic injection molding (HPIM) production line and related process technology to Ceramco, Inc. Mr. Henriksen noted that, “The purchase of this long established, superior technology is a perfect adjunct to Ceramco’s existing low pressure injection molding product line (LPIM). The new capability expands Ceramco’s already broad product range, providing much higher volume capacity, higher tolerance production and, most importantly, the ability to make much thicker walls and cross sections.”

Mr. Cass noted that, “The transfer of this technology to Ceramco is a natural progression of our long standing relationship with them. ACI is focusing on its ceramic fiber technology and sees Ceramco as the ideal manufacturer to have transferred this technology to by continuing to offer HPIM products to ACI’s existing customers in addition to the new opportunities afforded Ceramco with this capability. We are pleased to have placed our customers in Ceramco’s hands, because we are certain that they will be given the attention and quality they have become accustomed to with ACI.”

Ceramco's HPIM production line was set up in 3,500 square feet of unused warehouse space at their Center Conway, NH headquarters and involves 6-10 employees, engineers and supervisory personnel with more being added as the new HPIM products are integrated into Ceramco’s established LPIM business. The transfer of this production line frees up about 4,500 square feet of controlled environment space at ACI, which will be used to expand ACI’s piezoelectric ceramic fiber Energy Harvesting product line and electronic assembly operations.

Please watch our YouTube video on HPIM