MC-21, Inc. was founded in 1994 with the goal of reducing the cost of metal matrix composite (MMC) material production. In MC-21's stir-casting approach, the desired aluminum alloy is melted, and carefully sized ceramic particles are stirred in creating good wetting and a very strong bond between the ceramic particles and aluminum matrix.  A broad range of MMCs containing a variety of types and volume fractions of ceramic particulate and of aluminum alloys can be formed using standard metal-working techniques, such as rolling and casting.

MC-21 Metal Matrix Composites (MMCs) provide the lightweight and corrosion resistant properties of aluminum while significantly improving the strength, stiffness, wear resistance and reducing coefficient of thermal expansion. MC-21's products can replace copper, steel, titanium and cast iron components in a number of industries. Whether you are in Aerospace, Automotive, Defense, Electronics, Energy, Industrial, or Recreation, MC-21 has a material option that will fit your needs.

MC-21 offers the most advanced, yet cost effective Al-SiC in the world. With very fine particle reinforcement, MC-21 Al-SiC MMC has excellent mechanical and thermal properties with the added benefit of reduced machining costs. With the capability of rolling MMC, MC-21 can provide large quantities of MMC rolled sheet and plate at very economical prices. Squeeze casting or investment casting allows for high volume production of complex shapes from MC-21 MMC ingots.

Thermal Management of Power Devices

IGBT Baseplates

LED Packaging & Heat Sinks

Semiconductor Thermal Spreaders

Metal Backed Printed Circuit Boards

Automotive Applications

Brake Rotors & Assemblies

Engine Components

Powertrain Components

Noise, Vibration, and Harshness (NVH)

Ballistic Armor

Improved Aluminum Armor Plate

Stiffening Layer for Applique Armor

Lighweighting Military Vehicles

Add-on, Up Armor Kit material

Power Sports

Disc Brake Rotors

Golf Clubs

Power Sports Equipment

and more..

The Capabilities

Stir - Casting

MC-21 utilizes relatively simple equipment to mix ceramic particles into various aluminum alloys, creating a homogeneous and dispersed micro-structure. Molten MMC can be cast into foundry ingots or rolling slabs for further processing. Licensing is available for companies wanting to install MC-21 capabilities for high volume production on site.

Rolled Sheet and Plate

With 30,000 square feet (~2800 m2) of manufacturing space, MC-21 has installed equipment capable of rolling up to 14 inch wide sheets ranging from as thin as 0.02 inches (0.5mm) to as thick as 0.5 inches (12.7mm). With MC-21's proprietary process, volume fractions has high as 30% can be rolled into sheets, allowing for extremely high volume, low-cost production of value-added material.

Casting

Using ingots of MC-21 MMC, complex parts can be cast using either die casting or investment casting techniques. Casting allows for higher volume fraction MMC's, resulting in components with up to 45 volume percent SiC reinforcement. Contact us concerning questions on how best to re-melt and cast MC-21 ingots. Click here for examples of the complexity achievable using MC-21 MMC.

Stamping / Coining

MC-21's MMC sheets can be stamped into final parts quickly and efficiently. Whether blanked or coined, products up to 30 volume percent can be produced to very tight tolerances very cost effectively. Millions of parts are being produced annually from MC-21's MMC30 material.