Custom Ceramic Products
Pilot’s advanced micro ceramics are unique ceramic products that make use of the company’s core technologies which are proprietary company-developed extrusion, molding and sintering. Our ceramics are precisely molded using our own engineered molding equipment and sintering know-how.
We produce homogeneously sintered products that are high in density, strength and purity. In addition, by incorporating proprietary secondary processing, we are able to provide ceramics with high-precision inner and outer diameter dimensions (micron tolerances) and surface roughness (submicron tolerances) that are extremely smooth.
SC Zirconia ferrule
Thin wall ceramic capillaries
Technical capabilities to manufacture numerous holes in ceramic parts
SC Zirconia ferrule
Ceramic parts with numerous holes will provide adequate flow without pressure loss
Ceramic guide for plasma discharge machine
SC Zirconia ferrule
Thin wall ceramic capillaries
Technical capabilities to manufacture numerous holes in ceramic parts
SC Zirconia ferrule
Ceramic parts with numerous holes will provide adequate flow without pressure loss
Ceramic guide for plasma discharge machine
Alumina Ceramic Material
Alumina can be produced in a range of purities with additives designed to enhance properties. Alumina can be formed using a wide variety of ceramic processing methods and can be machined or net shape formed to produce an assortment of sizes and shapes. In addition, it can be readily joined to metals or other ceramics using metallizing and brazing techniques.
- Good strength and stiffness
- Good hardness and wear resistance
- Good corrosion resistance
- Good thermal stability
- Excellent dielectric properties (from DC to GHz frequencies)
- Low dielectric constant and loss tangent
- Seal rings
- Laser tubes
- Electrical insulators
- Thread guides
- Medical prostheses
- Electronic substrates
- Thermocouple tubes
- Grinding media
- Wear components
Zirconia Ceramic Material
Zirconia ceramic materials provide excellent erosion, corrosion and abrasion resistance along with temperature resistance, fracture toughness and strength. These ceramic components are used in extreme service applications that take advantage of their superior wear and corrosion resistance.
In its pure form crystal structure changes limit mechanical applications; however stabilized zirconia produced by the addition of yttrium oxides can produce very high strength, hardness and particularity toughness. With its biocompatibility and resistance to wear, it is ideally suited for a wide variety of medical implant applications, from artificial joints to implantable electronic sensors, stimulators and drug delivery devices. For well over a decade, zirconia and other ceramics have successfully proven their ability to withstand the harsh environment of the human body.
Yttria partially stabilized zirconia exhibits crack resistance properties due to the metastable nature of the tetragonal phase. An applied stress causes the tetragonal phase to convert to monoclinic with the associated volume expansion. This phase transformation can then put the crack into compression, retarding its growth and enhancing the fracture toughness. This mechanism is known as transformation toughening, and significantly extends the reliability and lifetime of products made with stabilized zirconia.
- Ultrafine grain
- High density
- Very high mechanical strength
- High strength and fracture toughness
- High hardness and wear resistance
- Low thermal conductivity (20% that of alumina)
- Good chemical resistance
- Ionic conductivity
- Ceramic-to-metal brazed assemblies
- Ablation tips
- Neurostimulation housings
- Dental abutments
- Cutting blades
Tech Gallery
Pilot offers high precision extrusion manufacturing techniques to create extremely tight tolerances with very thin walls for length over diameter ceramic applications. Pilot extrusion technology is a process by which long, straight products (such as rods and pipes) with various cross sections can be produced continuously.
The technology allows capillaries with a hole diameter of 20µm without boring or machining. High-precision small diameter ceramic capillaries are perfectly extruded in outer diameters ranging from ∅ 0.3mm to ∅ 5mm. The length can be cut to meet customer specifications and generally ranges from 0.3mm to 120mm.
Accuracy of Extruded Products
| Dimension | Tolerance | Microns | MM | Inches | Mils |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outside Diameter | ± 2% | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Inside Diameter | ± 3% | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Concentricity | 50 µm | 50 | 0.05 | 0.002000 | 2.0000 |
| Eccentricity | 0.01 µm | 100 | 0.1 | 0.004000 | 4.0000 |
| Surface Roughness | 2 µm | 2 | 0.002 | 0.000080 | 0.0800 |
More Product Examples
About Us
Pilot is a customer-first manufacturing company dedicated to the engineering of advanced micro ceramics by delivering world-class service and high-end quality products to its customers. We specialize in manufacturing advanced micro ceramic components for an ever-widening array of worldwide applications.
Pilot is dedicated to the expansion of our business by identifying and capitalizing on opportunities for unique ceramic solutions, customer service within growing niche market areas at an early stage and increasing our market share within existing markets. We are committed to the further development of our products and technology thereby providing our customers with sustainable competitive technical advantages in their markets.
The markets we serve are wide and diverse from aerospace and automotive to electronics and medical devices. All have one factor in common—the quality and reliability of the advanced micro ceramic products we’ve developed for each market.
Our reputation as a solutions provider is also well-charted and highly respected. In both new applications and in areas where technical ceramics are already being used, Pilot has the necessary expertise and in-depth knowledge to quickly find the best way forward for any potential application from prototypes through to full-scale production of components.