To create a custom metal alloy, manufacturers combine a metal with another substance — be it a second metal or another material — to create a new substance with specific, enhanced properties. The alloy manufacturing process involves heating and melting materials to mix them, and then the alloy becomes a solid as it cools to room temperature. This solid typically comes in the form of bars, tubes, rods, or plates.

Industries like the aerospace and automotive sectors use high-performance custom alloys to meet challenging applications with improved material strength and corrosion-resistance characteristics, among others. These specialized materials are also popular for high-tech and optical coating projects.

OPM, Inc. produces custom alloy formulations according to our customers’ specifications. Learn more about how alloy formulation works, what beneficial properties custom alloys can provide for an application, and how the OPM team can support your business with custom formulations and high-quality machined parts.

Custom Alloy Formulation Services

When you need to generate an alloy formulation for your product, it’s crucial to partner with an experienced metal alloy manufacturer to achieve optimal results. In mission-critical components for industries like the automotive or aerospace sectors, for example, using the incorrect alloy could actually lead to unexpected part degradation, causing premature failure or even fatal consequences.

For over a decade, OPM has formulated a wide range of alloys for diverse clients, giving us the knowledge and capability to tailor a material to your application’s demands. Our team will work closely with you to understand the performance requirements for your material for superior product solutions.

OPM has also partnered with an accredited third-party metallurgy laboratory for more than 10 years to cross-check mechanical and chemical properties and act as a gatekeeper. For materials, should you already have a sample of a material that you’re trying to recreate, like a historical alloy that’s no longer available or in short supply, we have the analysis capabilities to assist you with that, as well. Through metals testing, the OPM team can identify your metal’s exact alloy and elemental composition to determine its properties and formulate your alloy accordingly. We also ensure compliance with all relevant regulatory bodies, such as international scientific standards organizations.

Benefits of Custom Alloy Formulation

Alloys solve many of the problems and limitations of pure metals. By formulating a custom alloy, you can select all of the properties your application requires and create a material that meets your needs perfectly. A custom-formulated alloy can produce lasting parts and assemblies with benefits that include:

  • Increased corrosion and thermal resistance
  • Improved electrical and thermal conductivity
  • Added strength/durability
  • Lighter weight
  • Lower costs

Creating a custom blend of metals allows you to harness all of their respective positive attributes. As many types of metal are well-suited to alloy production, the benefits you can achieve are highly variable and dependent on the characteristics of your chosen materials and the specific amounts within the formulation.

For fabrication methods like castings, alloys can actually outperform pure metals. They generally feature superior strength and workability, and manufacturers can customize these alloys to achieve application-specific levels of ductility, brittleness, and machinability. Alloys are typically more lightweight and cost-effective than pure metals as well, making them a better choice for high-volume production.

Custom Alloy Formulation by OPM

As an expert in alloy processing and contract manufacturing, OPM develops custom alloy formulations to meet the needs of demanding industries. Whether your application requires custom stainless steel, a nickel-based alloy, or another formulation to handle your application’s unique requirements, our team can create the material you need and machine high-quality products and assemblies in our facility for shipment worldwide. We also ensure that our raw materials will meet your requirements by performing mechanical and chemical composition analyses prior to production.

We handle every stage in the production process from raw materials to fabrication and delivery so that working with OPM effectively minimizes your supply chain lead times and production costs. Our team will be here for you through every step, with real-time raw material traceability and engineering and logistical support. To learn more about our custom alloy solutions, contact us today.