Special Metals

Pilot Services

Small Volume Specialized Production and Testing

Our pilot processing division enables small-run, specialty production and testing through a landmark partnership between Special Metals’ Technology Processing Center and TIMET’s Henderson Technical Laboratory.

Delivering Real Customer Benefits

This joint partnership enables corporations, individuals, small businesses, research institutions, and universities to deliver new and exciting made-to-order products that can be shipped directly to the customer. 

Customers are seeing:

  • Reduced Lead Time: True rapid prototyping; no need to wait 36 weeks for a mill run order.
  • Reduced Cost: Cost vary depending on complexity, volume, and raw material elements.
  • Tailored Chemistry: Access to one-of-a-kind products unavailable anywhere else world wide.

Executive Summary

The Technology Processing Center (TPC) at Special Metals in Huntington, WV, and the Henderson Technical Laboratory (HTL) at TIMET in Henderson, NV, are two of the most well-equipped pilot mills in the world. The two facilities are working together to serve external customers for the melting, remelting, hot working, cold working, and finishing of small volume specialty alloys with unique compositions.

Executive Summary

The Technology Processing Center (TPC) at Special Metals in Huntington, WV, and the Henderson Technical Laboratory (HTL) at TIMET in Henderson, NV, are two of the most well-equipped pilot mills in the world. The two facilities are working together to serve external customers for the melting, remelting, hot working, cold working, and finishing of small volume specialty alloys with unique compositions.

Technology Processing Center

Unique Materials

We are able to offer one-of-a-kind titanium, nickel, cobalt and steel chemistry products that are not available from any other mill producer or distributor.

Customers no longer need to order mill minimums of 5,000 lbs or more for one-off orders. The partnership between TPC and HTL offers the capability to provide custom product forms and compositions of 100 g to 500 kg (1 to 1000 lbs). Toll services for conversion of customer-provided material also available.

Titanium, Nickel, Cobalt, & Specialty Steel Products

  • VIM Ingots: 75–150 mm (3–6") Rounds and Slabs, 20–140 kg (50–300 lbs)
  • AIM Ingots: 50–200 mm (2–8") Rounds and Slabs, 5–450 kg (10–1000 lbs)
  • VAR Ingots: Up to 450 mm (18") diameter, 250–1000 kg (550–2200 lbs)
  • Hot Rolled Plate: 2–200mm (0.08–8") thick, up to 380 mm (15") wide
  • Bar Product: 12.5–65 mm (0.5–2.5") square or diameter
  • Arc Melted Bars: Rectangles, up to 350g (0.75 lbs)
  • Arc Melted Buttons: Rounds, up to 100g (0.25 lbs)
  • Cold Rolled Sheet/Strip: 0.125–12.5mm (0.005–0.5") gauge, 125 mm (5") max width, straight lengths
  • Extruded Flats and Shapes: Ranging shapes and sizes – custom dies available
  • Cold Rolled and Drawn Wire: 1–7mm (0.040–0.280") diameter, coil form
  • Cold Rolled and Drawn Rod: 1–75 mm (0.040–0.125") round or RCS
  • Extruded Tube and Co-Extrusions: 50mm (2") max OD
  • Billet Product: 50–150 mm (2–6") round or RCS
  • Other products available on request

Material Characterization

  • Mechanical Testing
  • Composition Analysis
  • Optical Microscopy
  • Advanced Microscopy

Groundbreaking Partnership

TPC and HTL are two of the best-equipped pilot plant facilities in the world for the melting and conversion of custom nickel, titanium, cobalt and iron alloys.

This partnership is rapidly becoming the global standard in high-integrity material production and characterization for universities, national laboratories, corporate R&D centers, distributors, and small volume commercial needs in the aerospace, power generation, nuclear, chemical and manufacturing industries.