Development

The emphasis of our development efforts is firmly focussed on industrial application.

Innovation in new alloys:
With a highly qualified and experienced technical team, we have a unique capability, skilled at solving the most demanding metallurgical and alloying challenges. This strong technical innovation is supported by a well equipped facility, enabling LCM to provide custom made alloys in a variety of physical forms, from ingot through to powders or as sputtering targets and heat treated alloys with controlled microstructures.

Existing products:
The purpose of our development activities extends to the support and continual improvement of existing products. We work with customers to deliver technical improvements that will enhance product performance in application.

Materials research:
Our team continues to work within a number of development projects; these include initiatives funded by the European framework programme. This involvement strengthens our links with industrial partners and leading international universities, keeping LCM at the leading edge of materials development.

Our flexible processing plant, analytical laboratory and metallography facility provide excellent foundations from which to develop new materials or enhance the performance of existing products.

The technical effort is driven by a highly qualified and experienced team, with support from a capable, well-equipped facility:

Processing plant

• Arc-melting furnaces—for the preparation of alloy ‘button’ samples
• Vacuum induction melters—5kg furnaces facilitate the preparation of trial alloys and test melts for pilot scale production. Established technologies can be transferred to larger scale using one of our seven VIM furnaces.
• Powders—particle size distribution can be engineered to suit application. Powder trials can be undertaken using mechanical milling or water / inert gas atomisation.
• Heat treatment—alloys can be heat-treated under protective atmosphere to manipulate alloy microstructure and phase distribution.

Analytical Laboratory

LCM has a highly experienced analytical team, we operate:

• A fully equipped wet chemistry laboratory
• Two ICP-OES instruments for the determination of chemical composition and the levels of metallic impurities
• Fusion gas analysis (LECO) for carbon, oxygen, nitrogen and sulphur.

Metallography

A highly specified optical microscope is used to characterise the microstructures of alloy products and newly developed materials. This capability can be used to examine the effect of processing conditions and also to gain knowledge of structure—property relationships. The equipment is enhanced by the addition of state-of-the-art digital imaging and analysis software. LCM also has access to electron microscopy facilities through our links with leading University departments.