Research & Development
Concept Group engineers are conducting exciting new research on ceramic Insulon®. We have used ceramics in high-end applications, but today’s research is pushing the envelope to understand the full capabilities and cost effectiveness of ceramic Insulon®.
Standard Materials
Millions of Insulon® parts have been built from metals including stainless steel, Inconel, titanium, and other alloys. Metals create parts that can withstand vibration and other challenging environments. Metal Insulon® parts are very rugged and durable, even while maintaining extremely low wall thicknesses (in the order of millimeters).
Why Ceramics?
Ceramics have unique properties for expanding the applications and roles for Insulon® parts. Some of those properties include low thermal conductivity, resistance to thermal shock, high temperature capabilities, and low magnetic permeability.
Low Thermal Conductivity
Insulon® uses metals that are considered low thermal conductivity when compared to other metals. However, ceramics have even lower conductivity, enabling overall improved thermal performance in your application.
Resistance to Thermal Shock
Thermal shock can result in degradation due to expansions and contractions of materials that have different coefficients of thermal expansion. Ceramics empower Insulon parts to resist thermal shock, taking on applications that undergo drastic changes in temperature over very short periods of time without suffering significant degradation or damage.
High Temperature Capabilities
With a maximum operating temperature of 1000°C, metallic Insulon® parts already boast an impressive temperature range well beyond that of traditional vacuum insulation. Ceramic parts expand the temperature ratings of the Insulon® portfolio. This expanded operating range empowers users to take on applications that were previously inconvenient or impractical to address.
Low Magnetic Permeability
Ceramics have low magnetic permeability, opening up potential applications such as medical scanners, additive part manufacturing, and even quantum computing. Ceramic Insulon® empowers new high-end applications and the functionality of many traditional applications.
Low Electrical Conductivity
Ceramics have low electrical conductivity and do not respond to heating by induction. This makes ceramic Insulon® a useful insulator for applications that are designed to use induction heating. Ceramic Insulon® can be used to isolate the induction coil from the working element, drastically reducing resistance in the system while protecting the coil from heat generated by the process. Ultra thin ceramic Insulon® permits the coil to be located much closer to the working material, thus increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of the induction system.
