Badger Metal History Mission Statement and Customer Markets

History

MetaLL ife was developed 1983 to extend the life of cutting tools, particularly taps and drills. When the benefits of doing MetaLL ife to taps was confirmed thousands of times in the field, the process was tried successfully on other types of cutting tools, including drills, endmills, milling cutters, geometric chasers, etc.

One of our cutting tool customers was also a tool shop for building die cast tooling. The tool shop had a customer that was having premature die fatigue cracking. MetaLL ife was applied successfully on a tool. The rest is history.

The technology has been improved and modified over the years. In the case of plastic molds (H-13 or hot work steels), MetaLL ife can be polished to the required mirror finish without losing the compressive stress benefit. Today the process is being applied with equal success in the Drawing/Forming/Blanking markets.

MetaLLife was introduced in June 2001 to address die casting inter-metallic soldering issues. ThermaLLife has shown die casters that there is an effective way to stop the adhesion of aluminum to die steel). Dies for plastic that mold abrasive glass and fiber additives or chlorinate based PVC materials will no longer be attacked by corrosion and heat checking that shortens the life of all H-13 plastic molds. Thermoset plastic molders have a lower cost and viable alternative to the expense of repeatedly polishing, coating, stripping, polishing, coating, stripping, etc... ThermaLLife will not affect the smooth finish required in most plastic tools. Testing is underway in 2010 to confirm these facts both in the lab and field trials.

Another market that is being explored, starting in 2010, is hot forging. By utilizing and combining MetaLL ife, ThermaLLife, and Tungsten Carbide deposition to the surface of hot forging tool (also made from H-13), the porosity that is usually present with this deposition is reduced. By this Badger may be able to significantly extend this industries tool life as well.

"Prior to MetaLL ife, a die caster's only alternative to repairing was to weld the tool, resink the tool, or build a new die...all of which are costly and progressively more extreme procedures.

For over a quarter of a century, Badger Metal's technology and its dynamic team of knowledgable employees has educated die casters by showing them a less costly and more effective alternative to be both proactive and reactive with their maintenance programs. Our roots are planted in the die casting industry with new growth that includes customers in the plastic and the drawing/forming/blanking industry. We continue to mature by close association with NADCA, (North American Die Casting Association), the SPE (Society of Plastic Engineers) and the PMA (Precision Metal Forming) trade organizations.

A major portion of tooling cost is hidden in production and maintenance costs.
We can shrink the bottom portion of this iceberg by decreasing these hidden costs.