Get Perfect Monel® Parts with Precision Centerless Grinding
What high-performance superalloy is trusted for rocket construction, was used to make military dog tags for World Wars I and II, can be found in elements of New York City’s original Pennsylvania Station roof, and will count down the next 10 millennia as part of a “monument scale mechanical clock built inside a mountain?”
That impressive material is Monel®.
Monel is expensive and, due to its hardness, exceptionally difficult to machine. But here at United CGTR, we leverage our expert centerless grinding services to make exceptional round-diameter Monel parts with near-flawless surfaces that aren’t attainable with conventional precision machining.
Why Monel?
Just how expensive is Monel? In 2015, Monel piping cost three times as much as equivalent carbon steel piping. Many machine shops avoid working with Monel because they see it as a high-stakes material with no room for error.
They’re not wrong.
But for customers in the marine, oil, aerospace, and chemical processing industries, Monel is one of the only materials suitable for long-term use in harsh environments. Incredibly corrosion-resistant, Monel defies deterioration from acids, alkalis, salts, and water. It also resists cracking or warping under chloride ion stress or extreme temperatures.
First refined in 1905, Monel is a superalloy comprising 65-70% nickel, 20-29% copper, and 5% iron and manganese. Identical nickel and copper ratios occur naturally in some mines' ore, making Monel a puritan alloy. (Contrary to some assertions, Monel is not a cupronickel because its composition is less than 60% copper.)
Precision Centerless Grinding a Powerhouse Superalloy
United CGTR commonly shapes Monel for submarine applications, including valves, pumps, shafts, hatches, and piping systems. Our Monel projects come to us directly from end customers as well as other manufacturing shops that don’t work with the challenging material.
Monel grades
Available in numerous forms, including plate, sheet, bar, pipe, strip, tube, and wire, Monel also comes in multiple grades. Grade 400 mirrors the naturally occurring alloy and is the most sought-after grade.
Along with the popular Monel 400, we work with the superalloy’s K-500 grade, which contains small amounts of aluminum and titanium. Monel K-500 demonstrates the same corrosion resistance as the 400 grade with the added advantages of increased strength, enhanced hardness, and low permeability.
Grinding vs. turning
Parts that don’t have centers, like many of the Monel parts we make, are difficult to machine on a lathe. While it’s possible to chuck on the body of a part instead of using a center, doing so compromises the ability to turn the part all in one shot, making it nearly impossible to achieve a consistent diameter and surface finish.
Precision centerless grinding is a much more effective alternative, allowing us to achieve consistent diameters and surface finishes that lathes simply can’t deliver.
We Make Monel Machining Look Easy
During our 60+ years as a precision grinding company, United CGTR has perfected our centerless grinding craft and honed our technology to deliver superior parts at tolerances to +/- 0.00005”.
Whether you’re a wacky genius building submarines in your backyard or a defense contractor whose machined parts need our finishing touch, we’d love to help make your next Monel project a reality!
(And please: don’t ask us to work inside a mountain.)
