Wieland Werke AG

Lead-free brasses: ECOBRASS and ECOCAST from Wieland

Alternative materials suitable for a wide range of applications

Hanover Fair, 16 – 20 April 2007, Hall 5, stand E15



Lead-free materials play an increasingly important role, especially as an alternative for essential applications where strict adherence to health and environmental standards is imperative. The EU drinking water directive has been dealing with the lead content of materials for plumbing applications since 1998. Moreover, the RoHS directive of the year 2006 strictly limits the use of lead-containing materials in electrical and electronic equipment. From 2008 certain components for the automotive industry will have to be lead-free in order to be recyclable. Wieland-Werke AG, Ulm, Germany, has developed two special alloys – ECOBRASS and ECOCAST – which are not only lead-free but also have good processing properties to meet increasingly stringent legislation and future market requirements. Moreover, the alloys are characterized by high strength, excellent machinability and corrosion resistance. These and a number of additional properties make them a genuine alternative to conventional materials. Since their launch, ECOBRASS and ECOCAST have proved very successful and are being well received by customers. Both materials are suitable for a wide range of applications in fields such as the automotive, electrical, electronic and sanitary industries. Free from toxic additives, ECOBRASS meets the requirements of DIN 50930-6 and is an alternative for essential applications such as for drinking water. The special brass ECOCAST, developed from ECOBRASS, has been specifically designed to meet the requirements of foundries.



ECOBRASS can be produced without the addition of lead due to a particular alloy combination of copper, zinc and silicon. This combination gives the material its high strength and a good elongation property required for cold or hot working, including hot forging and casting and is also the reason why ECOBRASS can be better processed than conventional lead-containing brass. Components made from ECOBRASS are largely insensitive to stress corrosion cracking and dezincification, making additional surface treatment unnecessary. Moreover, ECOBRASS has good machining properties providing virtually unlimited scope for design creativity. Wieland re-uses ECOBRASS swarf within a full-cycle materials reclamation system. The resulting cost effectiveness along with the benefit of heightened productivity make ECOBRASS a genuine alternative to other non-ferrous metals or stainless steel.



ECOCAST: The lead-free alternative for casting purposes

With the special brass ECOCAST Wieland-Werke AG, Ulm, Germany, has offered its customers since 2006 a lead-free alloy also for casting applications. ECOCAST, developed from the proven ECOBRASS, has been specifically designed to meet the requirements of foundries. ECOCAST is characterized by outstanding casting properties. It possesses higher mechanical strength and density as well as a finer microstructure than other casting materials. Moreover, the corrosion-resistant and 100 % recyclable ECOCAST has good machining, forging and cold working properties. As a result, it can be processed more flexibly than other casting materials. The material is thinner than comparable alloys, thus filling the mould better during casting. As a result, finer components with a thinner wall can be produced from ECOCAST, a fact that makes further miniaturization of end products possible.



Further information:

Wieland-Werke AG

Karin Maier, Public Relations

Graf-Arco-Straße 36 – 89079 Ulm, Germany

Tel. 0049 731-944-2663 – fax: 944-42663

karin.maier@wieland.de, www.wieland.de



Wieland-Werke AG

Michael Scharf

Product Management and Marketing

Extruded/Drawn Products

Graf-Arco-Straße 36 – 89079 Ulm, Germany

Tel. 0049 731-944-2019 – fax: 944-1009

michael.scharf@wieland.de, www.wieland.de



Public Relations:

Press’n’Relations GmbH – Bruno Lukas

Magirusstraße 33 – 89077 Ulm, Germany

Tel. 0049 731-9628717 – fax: 9628797

blu@press-n-relations.de, www.press-n-relations.de



The Wieland Group is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of semi-finished and special products in copper and copper alloys. These include strip and sheet, tube, rod, wire and sections as well as slide bearings, finned tubes and heat exchangers. Wieland supplies customers in numerous markets, producing over 100 different copper alloys, which are primarily used in the electrical and electronic industry. Wieland products are also used in construction, mechanical engineering and in the automotive as well as heating, air-conditioning and refrigeration industries. Together with its customers the company develops solutions for individual and industrial applications.



The Wieland Group comprises over 30 manufacturing companies, slitting centres and trading subsidiaries in Europe, China, Singapore, South Africa as well as in the USA. Wieland’s R&D as well as production and sales are certified according to DIN EN ISO 9001:2000-12. Moreover, Wieland has an accredited testing and certification laboratory.



The Wieland Group achieved a turnover of € 2,504 million in the business year 2005/2006, with an export share of more than 68 %. Wieland has over 6,000 employees worldwide.





Photos:

The lead-free ECOBRASS and ECOCAST are suitable, for example, for the manufacture of products in the sanitary industry:

- ECOBRASS is used for the manufacture of taps by the Portuguese manufacturer BRUMA

- ECOCAST is used for the manufacture of water meters