One of the most commonly used options in the manufacturing of tooling and base plates in MIC-6. This is a product produced by Alcoa. It contains a very specific formulation that provides flatness, stability and extreme control during machining.
Many people choose MIC-6 because of the flatness and the ability to produce products with extremely tight tolerances. The process of producing the plate involves stress-relief and specific granular formation that provides a very uniform and stable final product. This is consistent even when exposed to significant machining and temperature variations.
As stress-relief is carefully considered during manufacturing, there is very limited stress within the plate. This allows for machining without the risk of stress in the plate creating irregularities. In turn, this reduces the need for further processing of the end-product and less waste.
The Alternatives
When looking for a competitor to MIC-6 to save on the cost of orders or to allow for easier ordering with companies not carrying the Alcoa line of aluminum alloys, it will be important to keep several things in mind.
It is always essential to buy from cast plate manufacturer with a known reputation in the industry. This will be essential not only to ensure the company has the ability to fill orders as needed but also to ensure the cast plate has been developed with quality control in mind.
Specialized Manufacturers
When looking for a competitor to MIC-6 that has the same properties and benefits, look for a specialized aluminum supply company. There are companies only producing cast plate, which is the ideal company to work with.
The specialization in the production of cast plate ensures the company has the equipment, experience and technical ability to produce the stress-relieved plate. With this in place the tight tolerances and the stability of the plate will be equivalent to that of MIC-6.
Quality Assurance
Choosing a cast plate that is a competitor to MIC-6 should only be done if there is full quality assurance offered by the manufacturing company. This means that the process itself is carefully monitored through fabrication. The applicable tests are completed throughout the process, producing a quality plate that meets all required standards.
This is not just an occasional testing process; rather it occurs on an ongoing basis. With this type of systematic testing in place each piece of cast plate fabricated will meet all the standards required without any variation in the quality the end-user can expect.
