| Author | Message | ||
     Hughlysses |
Very cool article at the Kneeslider: http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2009/08/19/titan ium-hydride-dramatically-lowers-manufacturing-cost s/ | ||
| Not_purple_s2 |
COOL! | ||
| Boogiman1981 |
neat | ||
| Rfischer |
Yup! Same thing said 'bout carbon fiber a few years back...'new technology to dramatically lower costs'.... Didn't happen. Don't hold your breath waiting for it to happen with Ti. To develop a new technology is one thing; to incorporate into production is quite another. | ||
| Bott |
just wonder if the carbon fiber bit should have read: 'new technology to dramatically raise profit margins'- but, who knows, eventually we may see a trickle down type thing. | ||
| Glitch |
Didn't happen. Supply and demand. Once Carbon Fiber got as popular as it did, the cost did come down for a short while. The reason it went back up, was because the demand overcame the supply. | ||
| Slaughter |
Carbon is still going to be a gimmick for all but the biggest budgets because it is just so bleeping expensive to do post-crash throw-away or spend maybe $500 on testing for those carbon wheels. A carbon chassis is probably going to cost you $1000 or more for post-crash inspection. Problem is that catastrophic damage CAN be invisible to the naked eye in carbon. Ti on the other hand - there's a BIG push on powdered metal, sintering and forging. Just don't know if there's going to be much cost saving since the raw material cost is such a small fraction of the total but the time you form, sinter, forge and then final machine a part. (I've asked around - curious to hear the feedback) To re-use the old quote: "Speed costs money, how fast do you want to go?" | ||
| Glitch |
Problem is that catastrophic damage CAN be invisible to the naked eye in carbon. Also, with regards to Carbon, UV deteriorates the resin. Delta (I'm sure other airlines as well, I just don't know any other airline's mechanics) has a limited time use for the Carbon parts because of UV damage. Weather it "looks good" or not, once it's been on for a certain time, off it comes and a new part is installed. | ||
| Gregtonn |
PM Ti parts will only be cost effective in high volume runs. Also the physical properties are going to be somewhat different from forged or machined Ti parts. I would be interested to see how the fracture properties compare. G | ||
| Glitch |
I would be interested to see how the fracture properties compare. Who cares? as long as it's sparks pretty when I use it on my knee pucks!  | ||
| Ferocity02 |
One of the big pushes for carbon, especially in the aerospace industry where I work, is that titanium is too expensive. The world's titanium supply is quickly diminishing, and where is it going? Golf clubs! Carbon is quickly buying it's way into the world due to it's high strength, low weight, and more. As manufacturing methods for carbon improve it will get better and cheaper. However, one of the big issues of carbon is damage inspection and repair (without replacing the entire part). | ||
| Blake |
Aluminum is lighter. On the basis of strength to weight, aluminum, steel and titanium alloys are all in the same ball park. The neat thing about the high strength aluminum and titanium alloys is that they can provide strengths comparable to the mild steel or stainless steel alloys, so they can be used in a weight reduction scheme in place of steel parts. "The world's titanium supply is quickly diminishing"? Well, then it's price would skyrocket accordingly. But it hasn't, on account of the supply is abundant. | ||
| Hughlysses |
The problem with titanium used to be that all the mines were in South Africa and the USSR, neither of which we particularly wanted to do business with. Titanium is good for some odd stuff. It's the only metal that concentrated chlorine won't corrode. | ||
| Ourdee |
Glitch, Could you use this for knee pucks? http://www2.dupont.com/Plastics/en_US/assets/downl oads/uses_apps/dupont_metafuse_brochure_web.pdf | ||
| Ratbuell |
I'm pleased as punch with my Ti...left femur, right tib, left hip hinge and plate, 12 screws.... The one screw they took out (3", coarse thread, self-tapping, T25 head) is a hell of a conversation piece. It's on my Uly keyring  Oh...sorry...*bike* parts, not *rider* parts. Whoops, heheh. | ||
| Slaughter |
Interesting about corrosion though - chrome and cadmium are POISON to Ti at high temperatures... meaning that the mechanics working on the A-12, YF-12 and SR71 had to have tools made of titanium!!! | ||
| Hughlysses |
Slaughter- that's weird. Man, those tools would be cool to have in your bike tool kit! | ||
| Slaughter |
BUNCH of us have been talking about WHERE those tools are. Yeah, there are a few SRs kept in storage but wouldn't it be cool to be the only kid on your block with Ti tools? | ||
| Reepicheep |
I have a cobalt torque wrench! It says so right on the handle! | ||
| Hughlysses |
I have a cobalt torque wrench! It says so right on the handle! I hope you have a lead tool box to store it in!  | ||
| Larryjohn |
I hope you have a lead tool box to store it in! Well, he didn't say cobalt 60 did he? | ||
| Zac4mac |
Some years ago I worked on experimental MRI equipment. The magnets were 4.7 Tesla. IIRC, one T = 10,000 Gauss; 1 Gauss is the field strength of the Earth. Had a full toolkit of Titanium - screwdrivers, dikes, crescent, combo wrenches, etc... all Ti. I loved cleaning up the tool faces on the grinder. Ti makes the most beautiful blue-white sparks. Z |
