Applications and Industries Served

     Work Holding / Encapsulation

Alloys hold special or irregular-shaped pieces during polishing and machining operations. For instance, Cerrobend and Cerrotru secure thin foil sections on jet-engine turbine blades, enabling more accurate machining.

     Tube Bending

Cerrobend and Cerrobase help support thin-walled tubing and channels during bending or forming by preventing wrinkling, flattening, or rupture. The alloys' properties ensure the part is filled completely. Cerrobend is preferred because it can be easily removed from the part using hot water. Cerrobase is specifically designed for tubes with diameters over 1½”.

     Safety and Fire Protection

One of the first uses of fusible alloys was in sprinkler heads as the melt-out component. The choice of alloy depends on the specific temperature requirements of the application.  

      Lens Blocking

Alloy is used to secure optical lens blanks to surfacing blocks for polishing and grinding. For plastic, we recommend Cerrolow 117.  Various alloys can be used for glass, including Cerrobend, Cerrolow 136 (cadmium-free), and Fields Metal (cadmium and lead-free).

     Radiation Therapy Shielding / Blocking

For radiation therapy, custom-made shielding blocks are made from Cerrobend, Cerroshield (cadmium-free), and Cerrolow 174 (cadmium and lead-free)

                      Thermal Release Mechanism

Fire doors, range hoods, safety plugs in pressure relief valves, compressed gas tanks, and thermal vented fuel caps all use fusible links made with different temperatures.

     Mold / Cores

Since molds are costly and time-consuming to produce, fusible alloys are used instead. Fusible alloy molds are durable and can be reused almost indefinitely. Their low melting point makes them ideal for electroforming intricate shapes in copper, iron, or nickel parts. A core is created from the fusible alloy and then copper or nickel is deposited on its surface. Finally, the core is melted out, leaving behind a precise, smooth part finish.   

     Proof Casting - Chamber Casting

Small cavities are typically cast using a solid proof casting of low-melting-point alloys. Cerrolow 117 is commonly used because of its relatively low melting temperature. Cerrosafe 160/190 is often used for proof casting of gun chambers, as it initially shrinks but then grows to zero shrinkage or growth after about an hour. 

   Well Abandonment

One of the unique properties of Bismuth is that it expands when it solidifies from a liquid to a solid state. This makes bismuth a key component in fusible alloys used for downhole sealing in the oil and gas industry. Bismuth-based alloys are also non-toxic and resistant to corrosion.