Ring the Bronze Bell: Why Using Bronze Will Provide Longer Product Lifetimes

While visiting Philadelphia the other week, I was walking along Independence Mall, where the Liberty Bell is located. I was astonished by the long, winding line of pedestrians eagerly awaiting their chance to view the historic monument with its famous cracked structure.

For centuries, bell makers relied on two main ingredients to ensure longevity and reliability: tin and copper. Both are relatively soft metals that will deform on striking. By alloying the two elements a harder and more rigid metal is created but also one with more elasticity than the use of one of the metals alone.  This allows for a better bell resonance and causes the bell to "vibrate like a spring when struck," (a necessary quality as the clapper may strike the bell at speeds of up to 600 miles per hour). The forces holding the tin and copper together cause vibrations rather than cracks when the bell is struck which creates a resonant tone. This metal combination also results in a tough, longwearing material that is resistant to oxidation and subject only to an initial surface weathering. Verdigris forms a protective patina on the surface of the bell, which coats it against further oxidation

The Liberty Bell weighed 2,080 lbs. at order. Over 200 years since its first ring from the tower of Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell not only symbolizes our country’s freedom, but it also shows how strong of a casting alloy that bronze is and how other products can have a similar lifespan. Now, I know you’re thinking, “Well what about the crack?” 

For me, if it had been made with a better combination of copper and tin, it would have remained in tact. You see even the hardest and strongest bronze contains large amounts of tin and little lead though an alloy with more than 25 per cent tin you will have a low melting point and the material will become brittle and susceptible to cracking. 

To put things in perspective, bronze highlighted much of the Ancient Egyptian lifestyle, from which artifacts still exist today. The Egyptians used it for weapons, armor, tools and, most famously, sculptures – all of which can be found in museums today, still in impeccable condition. So it truly boils down to how it’s cast and the chemistry and cooling!

Bronze can provide products a longer lifetime because it is harder than pure iron and copper. As well, it is also more resistant to corrosion and more malleable than other alloys.

Cast and sintered bronzes perform an important anti-friction function as bearings in millions of home products, automobiles and trucks, and in virtually all heavy industrial equipment, allowing for protection and thus, longer lifespans.

This topic trails back to a previous blog post I wrote, titled “A Sacrificial Metal: Why Bronze is So Selfless.” Although it discusses how bronze can be used to protect other metals, it also detail how strong and durable it is as an alloy.

“Bronze’s (Possible) Role in Saving the World in Armageddon”

In July 1998, the world as we know it almost came to an end. Well, in the summer blockbuster Armageddon that is. The science-fiction disaster film, starring Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton, Ben Affleck and Liv Tyler, was an international box-office success as well as the highest-grossing movie of 1998.

The film, tells the story of renowned deep-core oil driller Harry Stamper (Willis), whom NASA recruits to take on a dangerous space mission to stop an asteroid from colliding with Earth and wiping out humanity. Stamper, along with his crew, take off into space in the military shuttles, aptly named Freedom and Independence, to enact NASA’s plan, which includes drilling into the surface of the asteroid and detonating a nuclear bomb to split the asteroid in two.

If you’re familiar with the film, you’ll remember that the world was going to be saved by special drill designed by the lead character.  The drill would be affixed to the space vehicles, referred to as “Armadillos”. Featured below is the Armadillo, a mobile vehicle with the Special World Saving attached to the top.

So here is the question….would Bronze have played a part in saving the world? Would Harry Stamper have needed to call Atlas Bronze for Bronze parts to help run this drill? Theoretically, YES! 

Below, you can see the probable real-life equivalent of a Mobile Drill.  Sure it’s not futuristic shiny metallic or doesn’t have really cool looking drill heads but here on earth it gets the job done!

(Photo courtesy of Atlas Copco, www.atlascopco.com)

This Mobile Drill would indeed have required several bronze parts to operate the machine effectively.  As you can see in the below picture there are bronze parts that Atlas Bronze could have worked day & night to provide the brave crews of Freedom & Independence. Atlas Bronze could have provided bronze Finished Machine Bushings to fit a variety of anticipated material needs for the World saving mission; such as:

1. Superior Wear Resistance - This would have been very helpful up on the asteroid as Harry’s rogue team member eventually blows out the transmission on the first go around in drilling on asteroid
2. Resilience to Low Temperatures - In fact, copper alloys become stronger and more ductile as the temperature goes down, retaining excellent impact resistance to 20 K (-253 C or -424 F).  According to Google the average temperature of an asteroid is -100 degrees Fahrenheit
3. Magnetic Resistance - This should cover the Magnetic field issue that the crew encountered when landing on the asteroid. 

So at the end of the day…Atlas Bronze surely could have helped save the day, even as the world is potentially ending. #BronzeIsEverywhere

Step Up to the Plate: Why Plating is Such a Popular Trend

Plating, a manufacturing process that coats a substrate with a thin layer of metal, has become an increasingly popular trend in the metal industry due to its various benefits. The plating process changes the physical, mechanical and chemical properties of a metallic device to help strengthen the plated component. 

The primary purpose of plating is to extend a metal’s lifetime by protecting it from the elements of nature that could lead to to corrosion. Ultimately, without plating, a metal device could fail due to its affliction from natural elements.

There are multiple plating techniques, including electro-plating and electro-less plating. One can gather that electro-plating requires an electric current in its process, whereas electro-less plating does not.

During electro-plating, a current is applied to the component, resulting in a shift of the chemical composition, which provides a firm and resistant coating to the surface. Electro-plating sometimes requires multiple applications depending on desired thickness of the coat, and must be carefully conducted in clean conditions.

Electro-less plating is a simpler autocatalytic chemical process, in which the component is treated with chemicals to remove oils and other corrosive elements and is then activated with a proprietary solution.

Regardless of the technique used, the benefits of plating are abundant. They include:

• Forming a protective barrier
• Enhancing resistance to corrosion over time
• Creating appearance and decorative appeal
• Increasing magnetism and superior solderability
• Enhancing strength
• Conducting electricity
• Promoting adhesion
• Reducing friction
• Altering conductivity
• Enhancing paint adhesion
• Absorbing excess hydrogen
• Resisting heat
• Preventing tarnishing

Although many people imagine using chrome when they think of metal plating, there are additional metals that can be used, such as bronze, tin, copper, gold and silver. The plating process is ideal for industry professionals because of its incredible versatility and wealth of benefits.