Hi,

I'm looking for a company that can make 5"W x 8"L x .50 thick steel plates which have the texture of a file on one side and are (close to) perfectly flat on the other. Is it possible to cast such a piece? This would have to be mass produced.

I'd appreciate any ideas.

Thanks,

Russ

You might try to contact the people who cast similar parts for paper mill pulp grinders and wood chippers.

Hi Russ,

try Rimer Enterprises in Waterville, Ohio 419-878-8156.

ErnieD

I think you will find that it is impossible to cast a file texture surface in steel. Files are cut to that form; actually it is a cutting and deforming process.

It is possible that you could get what you are asking for by a powder metallurgy process which can provide very fine detail but your volumes would need to be very high and the upfront cost for the sintering dies might be very high assuming it is possible to do that size of part.

If you have to have actual file teeth in hard steel so they can cut like a file I think the file cutting process will be needed. If you just need a textured surface I expect the best approach could be looking at some form of knurling process either hot or cold.

Hi Geoff,

Thanks for your reply; I was told that it WAS possible but I had never heard of this process. I appreciate you input.

Russ

Russ, How coarse and what is the profile shape? Geof is, as usual, correct about how file making process. For some reason I have a different vision in my head of your parts. You mentioned mass produced? How many is a mass? Some of those paper mill pulp grinder plates are not all that coarse, but they do grind the surfaces after casting to produce sharp edges on the serrations and for uniform thickness.

Hi Richard,

Thanks for your help. I need the surfaces to be made in varying degrees of coarseness, and I by "mass produced" I mean tens of thousands of pieces. The problem that I'm having is finding a manufacturer who can produce plates that are .50-.55 thick and are perfectly flat after they are hardened.

...by "mass produced" I mean tens of thousands of pieces. The problem that I'm having is finding a manufacturer who can produce plates that are .50-.55 thick and are perfectly flat after they are hardened.

The only way you can get perfectly flat is finish after hardening.

If you are in the tens of thousands you may be in powder metallurgy territory.

Russ, Any shop with a Blanchard type grinder, double-disc grinder or flat platten belt grinder would love your parts. Probably inexpensive in large quantities as well. In fact, I bet some steel foundries have that equipment in their cleaning or second op rooms.

I imagine he wants the flat side and the tooth side flat. That ain't blanchard grinder work.

We'll have to explain that to a local foundry. They've been doing that to chilled iron pulp grinder plates for more than 50 years. They do have to turn them upside down to get both sides though. The volume does justify the fixturing.

I still don't know the specifics of Russ's part shape or serration edge requirements.

Pictures??

The only people who get in there are the papermill people and the foundry guys. I used to was one of them paper mill rats, years ago. I don't know who has it now, but it was called Sullivan Grinding. There still is a Sullivan Grinding Co.but it's not doing the pulp grinders anymore, they sold that part of the company I believe. As an aside, Sullivan Grinding has the largest Blanchard in the world, a 200 inch table. Since it was built, another was built. I believe same size.