Hard Metal

Cemented Hard Metal are a family of very hard alloys the most known representant of which is tungsten carbide (WC). It is the general term for alloys created through the bonding (sintering) of the nine kinds of Hard Metal [W (tungsten), Cr (chromium), Mo (molybdenum), Ti (titanium),Zr (zirconium), Hf (hafnium), V (vanadium), Nb (niobium), and Ta (tantalum)] with Fe group metals [Fe (iron), Co (cobalt), Ni (nickel)]. It is a conductive, heat-resistant material with the hardness (bend strength) of ceramics, and the fracture toughness of metal. It is mainly used for processing (e.g. cutting tools, such as a drill bits), and as a powder metallurgy mold for manufacturing auto parts. In the 1960s, cemented Hard Metal was adopted for watches for the first time in Swiss high class decorative watch cases, and garnered attention for its mirror surface polishing which would not scratch even if scraped against cement. Our company came to supply watch materials that harnessed the special features of each alloy, such as the weighty appearance of tungsten Hard Metal (WC), the lightness of titanium Hard Metal (TiC), or the amber color of tantalum Hard Metal (TaC).