CH712430A2 - A method of manufacturing a metal-ceramic composite part, especially for the cladding of a timepiece. - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a composite part (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14) comprising a first material comprising 316L steel powder and a second material comprising zirconia powder formed in a single sintering step. The invention can be used for applications in the watchmaking field, for example for cladding elements of a timepiece.

Description

Description

Field of the Invention [0001] The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a composite part and more specifically to a metal-ceramic composite part, that is to say a part combining two distinct materials respectively to base of metal and ceramic.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] EP 2 380 864 describes the manufacture of a ceramic element inlaid by galvanic decors. This method provides many advantages but requires many steps of implementation. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0003] The object of the present invention is to overcome all or part of the disadvantages mentioned above by proposing a method of manufacturing a metal-ceramic composite part which has fewer steps to be implemented.

For this purpose, the invention relates to a method for manufacturing a composite part comprising the following steps: a) forming a first material comprising 316L steel powder and at least a first adjuvant and a second material comprising zirconia powder and at least one second adjuvant; b) agglomerating one of the first and second materials to form at least a first portion of a blank; c) agglomerating the other of the first and second materials against the first portion of the blank to form at least a second portion of the blank; d) sintering the blank to obtain the composite part formed of 316L steel and zirconia.

It is therefore clear that the composite part may be predominantly metal or alternatively be predominantly ceramic. In addition, it is noted that the steps are simpler to implement and the blank formed of the two types of materials is sintered in a single step and not consecutively for each material which avoids the multiple manipulations of the intermediate parts as in the case of the background of the invention.

In accordance with other advantageous variants of the invention: said at least one first adjuvant comprises a binder and / or a surfactant and / or a plasticizer; said at least one first adjuvant comprises an organic compound and / or a polymer; said at least one second adjuvant comprises a binder and / or a surfactant and / or a plasticizer; said at least one second adjuvant comprises an organic compound and / or a polymer; in step a), the grains of the steel powder 316L and the grains of the zirconia powder are arranged to allow a substantially identical shrinkage during step d); in step b), the first material is agglomerated and, during step c), the second material is agglomerated; - In step b), the second material is agglomerated and, in step c), the first material is agglomerated; step b) is carried out by injection, pressing, 3D printing or slip casting; step c) is carried out by injection, pressing, overmolding, dip coating, 3D printing or slip casting; - The method comprises a final finishing step for improving the aesthetics of the composite part formed in step d).

In addition, the invention relates to a composite part obtained from the method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the composite part combines, in a single piece, two separate materials respectively based on steel. 316L and zirconia.

It is therefore understood that the composite part comprises two materials that are indissociable which may be predominantly metal or alternatively be predominantly ceramic. The two materials being sintered at the same time, they form a single piece although being each different in nature.

According to other advantageous variants of the invention: the composite part forms all or part of a case, a middle part, a horn, a dial, a flange, a bezel, a pusher, a crown, a caseback, a needle, a bracelet, a link, a clasp, a decoration, a wall or an ice cream

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0010] Other particularities and advantages will become clear from the description which is given below, as an indication and in no way limitative, with reference to the single drawing which is a representation of dressing elements. which can be implemented according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS [0011] As explained above, the invention relates to a metal-ceramic composite part. This composite part has been devised for applications in the watchmaking field such as for example cladding elements of a timepiece. Of course, the composite part according to the invention can not be limited to the dressing of a timepiece and more generally to watchmaking. Thus, by no means limiting, one can also imagine that this composite part can be applied in the field of tableware, cutlery, jewelery or jewelery.

By way of non-limiting examples and in relation with FIG. 1, the composite part can form in particular all or part of a casing 1 like the middle part 2 and the horns 3, a dial 4, a flange, a bezel 5, a pusher 6, a crown 7, a bottom 8 of a casing, a needle 9, a bracelet 10 such as a link 11, a decoration 12, a wall 13, an ice 14 or a clasp .

The invention therefore relates to a method of manufacturing a composite part. The method comprises a first step a) for forming a first material comprising powder, for example, 316L steel and at least one first adjuvant and a second material comprising powder, for example, zirconia and at least one second adjuvant.

Preferably, the first and second materials, sometimes called "feedstock" in the field of injection, each form powders whose grains allow shrinkage during substantially identical sintering.

In addition, said at least one first adjuvant and said at least one second adjuvant may comprise a binder and / or a surfactant and / or a plasticizer depending on the part to be manufactured and / or the sintering system used. Said at least one first adjuvant and said at least one second adjuvant may thus comprise an organic compound and / or a polymer, optionally supplemented with an additive such as, for example, a gelling compound and / or a surfactant compound.

The process continues with a second step b) for agglomerating one of the first and second materials in a mold to form at least a first portion of a blank. Advantageously according to the invention, it is therefore understood that, during step b) of the method, the first material or the second material can be interchangeably agglomerated. This means that the composite part may be "metal-based" or "ceramic-based". By way of example, step b) can be carried out by injection, pressing, 3D printing or slip casting. However, preferably, the injection is used to allow obtaining more varied geometries.

The process continues with the third step c) for agglomerating the other of the first and second materials against the first portion of the blank to form at least a second portion of the blank. For example, step c) can be performed by injection, pressing, overmolding, dipping coating, 3D printing or slip casting. However, preferably, the injection is used to allow obtaining more varied geometries.

Preferably, it is therefore understood that steps b) and c) may consist of injection moldings of ceramic and metal also known as English abbreviations CIM ("Ceramic Injection Molding") and MIM ("Metal Injection Molding") ).

Finally, the process continues with step d) for sintering the blank to obtain the composite part formed by 316L steel and zirconia. By way of example, it is thus possible to agglomerate, during step b), a zirconia forming a main body of the bezel with recesses and, in step c), 316L steel. agglomerating to fill said recesses and thus form one or more graduations. After sintering, it is thus possible to obtain a main composite piece of black color for example provided by zirconia and having gray graduations for example made by 316L steel As explained above, the opposite is also possible.

Advantageously according to the invention, the blank formed of the two types of material is sintered in a single step d) and not consecutively for each material which avoids the multiple manipulations of the intermediate parts as in the case of the rear part. plan of the invention.

In addition, the 316L steel is selectively chosen because it has good mechanical resistance to scratching and corrosion, is insensitive to magnetic fields and is allergenic to wear. It is therefore understood that the 316L steel has similar qualities to those of zirconia and thus forms, in combination with it, a composite part perfectly suitable for particular parts of dressing a timepiece.

Thus, by way of other examples, the composite part obtained according to the process can form a casing 1 whose middle part 2 is made of 316L steel and the horns 3 made of zirconia (or conversely), a dial 4 made of zirconia whose index hours are 316L steel (or vice versa), a bezel 5 316L steel with zirconia graduations, or links 11 of bracelet 10 316L steel with decorations zirconia (or vice versa).

Claims (14)

Of course, the present invention is not limited to the example shown but is susceptible to various variations and modifications that will occur to those skilled in the art. In particular, step d) may also comprise a debinding phase intended to remove said at least one first and at least one second admixture and, more generally, any additive used before the sintering phase intended to densify the blank. A final finishing step to improve the aesthetics of the composite part formed in step d) is also possible. Such a finishing step can typically include machining and / or brushing and / or polishing to make the composite part more aesthetically appealing. claims A method of manufacturing a composite part comprising the following steps: a) forming a first material comprising 316L steel powder and at least one first adjuvant and a second material comprising zirconia powder and at least one second adjuvant; b) agglomerating one of the first and second materials to form at least a first portion of a blank; c) agglomerating the other of the first and second materials against the first portion of the blank to form at least a second portion of the blank; d) sintering the blank to obtain the composite part formed of 316L steel and zirconia. 2. Method according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said at least one first adjuvant comprises a binder and / or a surfactant and / or a plasticizer. 3. Method according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said at least a first adjuvant comprises an organic compound and / or a polymer. 4. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said at least a second adjuvant comprises a binder and / or a surfactant and / or a plasticizer. 5. Method according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said at least one second adjuvant comprises an organic compound and / or a polymer. 6. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, in step a), the grains of the steel powder 316L and the grains of the zirconia powder are arranged to allow a substantially identical withdrawal when from step d). 7. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, in step b), the first material is agglomerated and, in step c), the second material is agglomerated. 8. Method according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, in step b), the second material is agglomerated and, in step c), the first material is agglomerated. 9. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that step b) is performed by injection, pressing, 3D printing or slip casting. 10. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that step c) is performed by injection, pressing, overmolding, dip coating, 3D printing or slip casting. 11. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the method comprises a final finishing step for improving the aesthetics of the composite part formed in step d). 12. Method according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the finishing step comprises machining and / or brushing and / or polishing. 13. Composite part obtained from the method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the composite part combines, in one piece, two separate materials respectively based on 316L steel and zirconia. 14. Composite part according to the preceding claim, characterized in that it forms all or part of a housing (1), a middle part (2), a horn (3), a dial (4, 22), a flange, a bezel (5), a pusher (6), a crown (7), a bottom (8) housing, a needle (9), a bracelet (10), a link (11), a clasp, a decoration (12), a wall (13) or an ice (14).