[Leica] Fwd: Re: LUG metallurgist

[khmiska <khmiska@umich.edu>]

This is a forwarded message
From: Marvin Zhou <marvinlzhou@yahoo.com>
To: khmiska <khmiska@umich.edu>
Date: Friday, July 25, 2003, 10:57:25 AM
Subject: LUG metallurgist

===8<==============Original message text===============
All the questions can be easily answered if there is
someone willing to cut off a tiny piece from the
bottom of his Ti Leica so I can take a look at the
microstructure and do some simple composition
analysis. 

You are right due to all kinds of problems Ti is hard
to electroplate reliably. Frankly pure Ti is gray and
the Ti Leica look yellowish so at least I can safely
say that the surface is NOT pure Ti.

I've seen TiN and TiOx based jewlry from China and
they have all kinds of colors depending on their
thickness so the sandy yellowish tint on the Ti Leica
is entirely possible using these coatings on the
surface(TiN is pretty hard too) on another substrate
material (Aluminum, for example). 

Evaporation techniques are certianly doable. But it's
costly (vacuum) and it will be hard to avoid shadow
effects. This can't be ruled out of course, as Ti
Leica is very expensive. 

Then there are the traditional forming techniques,
stamping, casting, etc, which are quite difficult but
doable for Ti-based alloys. And don't forget powder
metallurgy. The fine grained, sandy surface of the Ti
Leica reminds me of a hydrostatically compressed metal
powder piece prior to any finishing. Oxidation is
always a big enemy for Ti, but an inert processing
environment is not that hard to get and maintain.

Basically I can't definitively rule out anything
unless taking a look at the microstructure. My guess
is that Leica is not that low yet to *not* use any Ti
alloys when making Ti Leica. I don't see any real
advantage in using Ti alloys. Yes it will be stronger
yet light but we are not talking about life-saving
titanium armor or submarines or wing spars. 

I've seen credit card companies marketing Titanium
cards as one level above Platimum cards. They must
have done some marketing research and found that
somehow the general populace associates titanium as
something even more precious or "noble".  

Later,
L. 

       

- --- khmiska <khmiska@umich.edu> wrote:
> Mr. Zhou,
> Thank you for responding.
> 
> There has been much back and forth on the LUG about
> the so-called
> titanium Leica M6. Some claim it is titanium plated.
> Some say it's
> something akin to anodizing and some say it actually
> titanium. Quite
> frankly, I don't believe any of these.
> 
> I was an editor at the long-defunct Materials
> Engineering magazine and
> have enough metallurgical knowledge so that, again,
> I don't belive any
> of these statements.
> 
> You can't electroplate out titanium, right?
> 
> YOu can't use the anodizing process, right?
> 
> Yes, you could, theoretically, machine the camera
> from titanium or a
> titanium alloy but it would be a very, very
> expensive process in such
> small quantities, what with special cutting tools
> and all.
> 
> Now, I believe you could coat the camera with
> elemental titanium using
> PVD or CVD, right? Again, aren't those very costly
> processes used
> primarily for electronic components?
> 
> So, in your opinion, how did Leica make the Ti Leica
> M6 and other than
> appearance, what advantage, if any, is there to
> this? I can't think of
> any other than that Leica is laughing all the way to
> the bank.
> 
> Cordially
> 
> Kurt Miska
> -- 
> Kurt H. Miska
> GERMAN BUSINESS TRANSLATIONS
> Ann Arbor, Michigan
> khmiska@umich.edu
> http://www-personal.umich.edu/~khmiska/
> 


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===8<===========End of original message text===========

Gentlemen,
Dr. Zhou is a PhD metallurgist and the attached msg is in response to
my questions about the so-called titanium Leica. He has given me
permission to forward the msg but he requests that we excuse his
English.
Cordially
Kurt


- -- 
Kurt H. Miska
GERMAN BUSINESS TRANSLATIONS
Ann Arbor,Michigan
khmiska@umich.edu
http://www-personal.umich.edu/~khmiska/

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