IBUMetal – Technical Guides for the Metal Industry

Engineering-grade technical articles on welding, metal materials, surface treatment and machining.

Latest Technical Articles

Complete Guide to MIG Welding Parameters for Carbon Steel — A comprehensive reference for setting wire feed speed, voltage, and gas flow rates when MIG welding carbon steel in structural and general fabrication applications.
S355 vs S275: Structural Steel Grade Comparison — A detailed comparison of the two most common European structural steel grades, covering mechanical properties, weldability, cost considerations and typical applications.
Hot-Dip Galvanizing: Process, Standards and Specifications — Everything engineers and fabricators need to know about hot-dip galvanizing — from surface preparation through to coating thickness requirements per EN ISO 1461.
CNC Turning Speeds and Feeds for Stainless Steel 304 — Practical parameter guide for CNC turning austenitic stainless steel 304, covering cutting speeds, feed rates, depth of cut and tool selection.
Understanding Weld Defects: Detection and Prevention — A systematic guide to common weld defects classified per EN ISO 6520-1, their causes, detection methods and prevention strategies for quality fabrication.
Duplex Stainless Steel: Properties, Grades and Welding — Comprehensive guide to duplex stainless steels — their microstructure, mechanical properties, corrosion resistance, grade selection and welding considerations.
Powder Coating vs Wet Paint: Industrial Applications — A practical comparison of powder coating and wet paint systems for industrial metal finishing, covering process differences, performance, cost and environmental factors.
EU Steel Market Report: Q1 2026 Outlook and Pricing — Analysis of European steel market trends for Q1 2026, including pricing developments for structural sections, flat products, and stainless steel.
Titanium Welding Best Practices: Grade 5 (Ti-6Al-4V) Guide — Complete guide to welding Grade 5 titanium (Ti-6Al-4V), covering gas shielding strategies, contamination prevention, joint preparation and post-weld inspection per AWS D17.1.
Magnesium Die Casting: Safety Protocols and Alloy Selection — Essential safety guide for magnesium die casting operations covering fire prevention, Class D extinguishing agents, alloy selection (AZ91D vs AM60B), and process parameter control.
Chromium Plating: Hard Chrome vs Decorative Processes — Technical comparison of hard chromium and decorative chromium plating processes, including REACH compliance for hexavalent chromium and trivalent alternatives.
Cobalt Superalloys in Aerospace: Haynes 188 and L-605 — Technical guide to cobalt-based superalloys for high-temperature aerospace applications, covering Haynes 188, L-605, and FSX-414 compositions, properties, and service limitations.
Structural Aluminum Alloy Selection: 5xxx, 6xxx and 7xxx Series — Engineering guide to selecting aluminum alloys for structural applications — comparing 5xxx (marine), 6xxx (architectural), and 7xxx (aerospace) series per Eurocode 9.
Copper-Nickel Alloys for Marine Piping and Propellers — Guide to copper alloys in marine environments — Cu-Ni 90/10 and 70/30 for seawater piping, and nickel aluminum bronze (NAB) for propellers and valves.
Tungsten Carbide Cutting Tools: Grades and Coating Technologies — Technical reference for tungsten carbide cutting tool selection — ISO application groups (P, M, K), substrate compositions, and CVD vs PVD coating technologies.
Nickel Alloys for High-Temperature Service: Inconel and Hastelloy — Selection guide for nickel-based alloys in high-temperature and corrosive environments — covering Inconel 625, Inconel 718, Hastelloy C-276, and Monel 400.
Zinc Coatings Compared: Hot-Dip, Electro, and Sherardizing — Comparative guide to zinc-based coating processes — hot-dip galvanizing, electrogalvanizing, mechanical plating, and sherardizing — with thickness ranges and application criteria.
Brass Machining: Parameters for Free-Cutting and Lead-Free Alloys — Optimized CNC machining parameters for brass alloys — comparing free-cutting CW614N (CuZn39Pb3) with lead-free alternatives CW724R and CW511L per the EU RoHS directive.