Patent attributes
Hot-isostatic-pressure (HIP) is used to make substantially nonporous cemented carbide inlays on metal substrates. A radiused shell preform typically comprising at least one metal carbide and at least one nonvolatile cement is shaped as a rigid frusto-conical shell having a substantially uniform thickness and a predetermined radius on every edge. HIP pressure is applied via a conforming adjustable sliding element to compress the preform against a conforming substrate. Surfaces of the conforming adjustable sliding element and conforming substrate, and/or the radiused shell preform, may in certain embodiments be coated substantially uniformly with at least one nonvolatile cement. Space around a radiused shell preform is evacuated without the need to totally enclose the radiused shell preform and its substrate in a can. Certain embodiments provide for leak testing of welded seals prior to application of HIP, and other embodiments make the use of welded seals unnecessary.
