Macor is a machinable glass ceramic. It comes in bar, bar and sheet shapes and is used primarily for the production of precision manufacturing parts and can be machined using common metalworking tools.

Here are the pros and cons of macor ceramics:

Macor ceramics have high dielectric strength, excellent vacuum sealing, strong and dimensional stability, suitable for 1000°C/1800°F. Good chemical resistance and high dielectric strength make Macor an excellent insulator. The absence of exhaust, basic zero porosity, and low helium permeability make it very useful in vacuum applications. Because it is heat stable and has thermal expansion properties similar to metals, it can be used where there are high heat and flame problems. It can be sealed, metallized and brazed.

Macor can turn, mill, drill, tap, saw, and grind with ordinary metalworking tools and techniques. It is machined in high speed steel, relatively easy, with a relatively low speed and feed carbide cutter, but the cutting depth is greater than usual metal, water soluble coolant is recommended. "Crumb" is a fine powder that is easily controlled by coolant or vacuum.

Because Macor is easy to process, it is a cost-effective material suitable for small batch manufacturing and the development of ceramic prototypes made by extensive pressing and sintering. It has been used in nozzles, sensor housings, bearings, fixtures, guides, electrical insulators, thermal isolators and many other applications where Macor's unique technical characteristics provide a solution to challenging material problems. Shenzhen Lixin-imachining Co., Ltd. Precision Machining manufactures such parts according to customer specifications (tolerance as small as 0.0005").

In comparison with other special ceramics, macor ceramics has unique advantages, of course, it also has some less than other special ceramics. Take alumina ceramics as an example: Alumina is a very common specialty ceramic because it has a variety of properties. However, because it is a very hard material, a large amount of diamond grinding is usually required, making it expensive to produce in small batches. Macor Machinable glass ceramics are a viable alternative that can significantly reduce production costs.

Here are some factors to consider when choosing between Macor and alumina ceramics.

Number one: heat cycle

Macor ceramics are susceptible to thermal shock -- if the environment has rapid heating and cooling cycles, Macor ceramics may not be suitable. Alumina ceramics are a viable option.

Second point: maximum temperature

The maximum operating temperature of Macor ceramics is 1000C (no stress) and 800C (with stress). Alumina ceramics have higher high temperature resistance than macor ceramics.

The third point: wear resistance

The same characteristics that Macor ceramics can work with mean that it has relatively poor wear resistance compared to alumina ceramics.

Fourth, cost

In smaller quantities, Macor ceramics are usually much cheaper to process than alumina ceramic components.