Solid and Coated Plungers
Solid tungsten carbide plungers provide unequaled performance in a critical, demanding, and dangerous environment of 50,000 psi and 750,000,000 cycles before repair. Extremely tight tolerances and finishes along with premium quality materials and experienced knowledge of the service demands, result in smooth operating cylinders and packing life.
Alloy Carbide Company's decades of experience in the high pressure polyethylene industry allow us to confidently manufacture solid tungsten carbide and RAM® (Rocket Applied Metallics) coated plungers, solid carbide liners, and hardened compressor rods and plungers.
Solid tungsten carbide remains the optimum material for ultra-high pressure compressor plungers, but only if precision and exactness are incorporated in the manufacturing and repair processes. A plunger's dimensional geometry is critical to assure proper alignment in the cylinder along with longer and safer service life. In most instances, cylindricity, concentricity, and perpendicularity are held within .0003" and a finish below 1 Ra is obtained.
New and repaired plunger surfaces are carefully inspected using a microscope and/or penetrants to ensure a pit-free, scratch-free, and crack-free finished component, assuring a safe and trouble free service life. During final inspection, a detailed service record of size, finish and indications are noted, kept on file and also sent to the customer. Thus a complete history of the plunger is documented.
Solid tungsten carbide liners are manufactured in much the same ways as plungers except the inside diameters are diamond honed. These liners are subsequently shrunk fit inside their respective steel cylinder providing excellent wear protection and service life.
Alloy Carbide also manufactures and repairs compressor rods and steel plungers using our own RAM® tungsten carbide coatings or other methods of hardening. New rods and plungers are usually manufactured from high strength alloy steel featuring cold rolled threads and polished radii to maximize strength, increase resistance to fatigue, and reduce stress risers. Alloy Carbide takes special care to assure rod straightness and piston perpendicularity in order to maximize alignment with the cylinder and its packing. Alloy Carbide understands outstanding performance is not only a function of high quality coating but also includes exacting geometry, compatible mating surfaces, quality materials, and sound engineering.
Components received for repairs are thoroughly inspected in order to highlight damaged and diagnose any possible material problems, misalignment issues, corrosion, or loss of lubrication. All of our rods and plungers are stenciled with a serial number to maintain records of the work performed and also a history for possible future repairs.
Our RAM® tungsten carbide coated rods and plungers offer particular resistance to the demanding service of the petrochemical industry where service pressures can exceed 20,000 psi. Diamond finishing of the coating produces surfaces as smooth as one micro inch.
Alloy Carbide truly concerns itself with our customer's need and remains ready to react utilizing our vast experience and knowledge in the manufacturing and repairing of compressor rods and plungers.