WOLFMET FAQs

Yes. Due to high safety standards across the industries we supply to, we exercise rigorous levels of traceability and quality control in all aspects of manufacturing and supply chain. For example, Wolfmet materials traceability comply to the aerospace AS9100D standard, certified CofC as ISO9001:2015.

AMS7725 is a material specification for tungsten heavy alloys. It defines material classes, mechanical properties, testing, and traceability requirements. AMS7725 is typically specified for regulated or safety-critical applications, while other standards may be used for general industrial or commercial tungsten alloy components.

AMS7725F places greater emphasis on manufacturing control, testing, and traceability. ASTM B777 primarily defines material composition and mechanical properties and is commonly used for general engineering applications. Both are particularly relevant to the aerospace industry.

Wolfmet can support post sinter treatments such as stress relieving and vacuum out-gassing, particularly for high precision aerospace, automotive and medical applications. Additional treatments can be considered depending on application.

Yes, Wolfmet uses common Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) methods like Penetrant Flaw Detection (for surface cracks) and Ultrasonic Testing (for internal flaws) to ensure the quality of their high-density tungsten alloy components.

Tungsten heavy alloy is preferred over lead for radiation shielding in medical scanners due to its superior density, non-toxicity, and mechanical strength, which allows for safer, more compact, and more durable shielding solutions.

Yes. Tungsten alloys are used in both Digital Radiography (DR) and Computed Radiography (CR) systems. Their high density and radiation attenuation properties make them well suited for shielding, collimation, and beam control components, helping to improve image quality while reducing unwanted radiation exposure.

Pig vial weight can be reduced by replacing lead with Tungsten heavy alloy. Tungsten alloy’s higher density allows equivalent radiation attenuation at a significant reduction in wall thickness resulting in a more compact design. This often results in a lower overall weight once geometry and handling are optimised, while also providing a non-toxic alternative to lead.

Due to tungsten alloy’s higher density — 60% denser than lead — switching from lead to tungsten not only offers a non-toxic materials alternative, but also provides excellent shielding capabilities for smaller volumes.

Yes. Tungsten alloys can be used in vials that also incorporate lead as secondary containment. In practice, both configurations have been used. Tungsten Heavy alloy may form the primary shielding or be used as an insert within a lead container, depending on shielding performance, size constraints, and regulatory or legacy design requirements.

Quality Management Standard – Lloyds Register ISO 9001; Environmental Management Standard – Lloyds Register ISO 14001; AS9100 Rev D

We are actively in the process of obtaining this certification, as our existing materials traceability comply to the AS9100D standard, certified CofC as ISO9001:2015 – closely aligned to ISO 13485.

For as-sintered parts (ROTFs), parts come out of the furnace with a rough oversize tolerance of at least +3mm on all dimensions. Machined components have a standard tolerance of ±0.25mm, however, this is variable depending on the complexity of the parts.

Think of ballast as adding weight to help something sit or behave better overall, like extra stability in a vehicle. Balance weights are more about fine-tuning, they’re added in specific places to smooth out movement and reduce wobble. Same idea of adding weight, just different jobs.

Wolfmet HM490 is used in hot metal working applications, where tooling is exposed to high temperature, wear, and corrosion. Typical uses are extrusion dies, sprue bushes, and wear inserts in metal and plastic moulding operations, as well as die casting where extended tool life is required.

Compared with tool steel, Wolfmet HM490 tungsten alloy offers significant improved resistance to thermal fatigue and corrosion in high temperature environments. When compared to stellite, Wolfmet HM490 provides similar wear and corrosion performance, with great dimensional stability under repeated thermal cycling, making it suitable for demanding hot-working applications.

Yes, Wolfmet HM490 tungsten alloy can be supplied as fully machined components and/or as sintered near net-blanks.

Tooling life improvements with Wolfmet HM490 tungsten alloy depend on application and operating conditions. However, it is commonly used to extend service life compared with conventional tool steels in high-wear, high-temperature environments. Improvements are typically seen through reduced wear, improved resistance to thermal cycling, and lower maintenance or replacement frequency.

Yes. Tungsten heavy alloys are significantly stronger and more wear-resistant than lead, making them better suited for vial pigs with threaded lid designs. Unlike lead, which is soft and easily damaged, tungsten alloys resist deformation and thread wear, reducing the risk of cross-threading, galling, and long-term damage during repeated use.

Tungsten heavy alloy is often the preferred material for portable vial pigs used with PET (F-18) and SPECT (Tc-99m) doses. Its high density enables much smaller containers, helping address common challenges such as limited transport capacity, high shipping costs, and difficult manual handling. More compact designs allow more units per shipment, improving logistics efficiency while maintaining effective radiation shielding.

• Wolfmet tungsten alloy is non-toxic, clean to handle and structurally rigid, unlike lead
• Wolfmet tungsten alloy is 60% denser than lead
• Wolfmet tungsten alloy is easily machinable, in contrast to pure tungsten
• Wolfmet tungsten alloy has no known health risks and does not require licensing or special procedures for machining, as is the case with depleted uranium

Yes, available for purchase on Wolfmet’s online shop, but for limited sizes and shapes.

Yes. Wolfmet has an in-house machine shop, machining standard prismatic and near nett blanks as part of our standard process.

Wolfmet uses all forms of traditional machines from basic manual milling, turning centres to multi axis lathes and milling machines, various hydraulic and ISO static presses. The plant as a whole work under ASTM B777, AMS 7725 and ISO / ASME specifications.

Yes. Every powder batch undergoes testing in house to ensure the highest quality.

Wolfmet’s components fall under strict quality standards — ISO 9001 & AS9100 — which require rigorous testing of raw materials at the start of the production process.

Yes, tungsten alloys are machinable. This is often misunderstood because tungsten carbide is a different material and cannot be machined in the same way. Tungsten heavy alloys are metallic and can be shaped using a range of conventional milling, turning, and drilling processes on standard CNC equipment.

Wolfmet tungsten alloy components can vary so much in complexity that it is not possible to quote general lead times, however we always endeavour to satisfy customer requirements.

3D printed parts have a rough tolerance of ±0.25mm, closer tolerances are generally agreed per application.

Wolfmet uses our own W100 powder grade for the SLM process, which is 100% tungsten powder.