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Advanced Forming Technology opens new facility
Low-cost laser cladding to aid wear resistance THE SELECTIVE surface treatment of engineering components shows definite potential for improving resistance to wear and corrosion. However, the highpowered, infrared lasers used to apply these coatings - in particular continuous-wave carbon dioxide lasers and Nd:YAG, lasers can be prohibitively expensive. For companies with only a few components to treat, the capital cost is simply too high. But now, a new, lowcost laser-cladding technique is being developed in a collaborative research project in Australia involving the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), the Cooperative Research Centre for Materials Welding and Joining, the University of Wollongong, Hardchrome Engineering and Nissan Australia. The new technique uses a pulsed Nd:YAG laser and optical fibres, resulting in a thick, defect-free clad layer
on flat or round surfaces with minimal heat input. Wear- or corrosion-resistant alloy powders are injected through a nozzle to the surface of a substrate where the beam from an averagepower Nd:YAG laser, delivered to the surface via an optical fibre, fuses the powder to the surface. A metallurgical bond is created between the two materials with little dilution of the deposited material by the substrate. As a result, the wear or corrosion properties of the deposited alloy are preserved. Dr Milan Brandt, who leads the research team, says most of the experiments were performed with a nickel-based alloy powder, N10002. Uniform clad layers in excess of 1 mm thick can be achieved in a single pass with an average laser power of 240 watts delivered through a 600 pmdiameter glass fibre. The clad layer obtained is homogeneous, without porosity or cracks, and has low dilution (less than 2%). The layers
demonstrated superior corrosion resistance, compared with layers depositwith the Plasma ed Transferred Arc technique and continuous wave Nd:YAG laser. These encouraging results render the technique competitive, Brandt says. The low heat input makes it particularly attractive for cladding thin substrates and engineering components that require
both corrosion or wearresistant surfaces and high dimensional stability (minimal warping). In addition, the use of fibre optics to deliver the laser beam to the workpiece offers significant opportunities for surfacing components remote from the laser source. CSIRO Manufacturing Science & Technology; tel: +61-Z-9413-7194; fax: +61Z-9413- 7637.
Pulsed lasers, fibre optics and nickel powders combine to make engineered components more corrosionand wear-resistant.
Advanced Forming Technology opens new facility
mron introduces custom blending at St Marys
ADVANCED Forming Technology (AFT), which produces injection moulded (MIM), thixoformed and metal matrix composite (MMC) components, has moved into a new 11000 m2 manufacturing facility in Firestone, CO, USA. AFT president Istan Vamos says the move from nearby Longmont, CO, where it will retain some manufacturing activity, follows growing demand for its high-volume, complexgeometry parts. It also reflects the incorporation into its activities of the MMC manufacturing business of PCC Composites, which like AFT is a division of Precision Castparts Corp (PCC). “AFT is already bringing in six times the sales it had
PYRON Corp is now offering contract and custom blending of both ferrous and non-ferrous metal powders at its plant in St Marys, PA, USA. The blending facility, opened in 1995, is equipwith a Munson ped Blender capable of blending 20 tonnes per lot. Pyron says Munson blenders are the technologically preferred method when mixing quality sensitive pharmaceutical and food additives where lot to lot homogeneity is essenutilizing the tial. “By advanced technology afforded by the Munson Blender, Pyron can hold critical powder characteristics unobtainable with conventional inverted conical blenders,” says Jack Brennen, plant superintendent.
6 MPR October 1998
when PCC acquired the company back in fiscal 1992,” Vamos says. “Each of AFT’s innovative manufacturing processes are finding wide acceptance in the automotive, communications, electronics and consumer markets. Even with the added space, we expect that we will have the Firestone facility running at capacity four years from now.” AFT is also opening a MIM plant in Bangalore, India, as part of a joint venture, AFT India Pvt. Vamos says this operation will increase AFT’s global reach and enable the division to continue its growth into the next century. Advanced Forming Technology; tel: +l-303~8336000; fax: +l-303-833-6464.
David A. Fix, vice president of sales and marketing, says the move is part of Pyron’s efforts to focus on its core competencies of which blending is a major component. “Subcontracting or jobbing out the blending activity allows parts producers to direct re-sources toward what they do best - make parts, more effectively, and typically at lower costs,” he says. “Pyron is keenly interested in meeting the needs of our customers. This means blending all manufacturers’ powders, on site storage, KANBAN or JIT releases, and meeting special packaging or delivery requirements.” Pyron Corp; tel: +l-716285-3451; fax: +I - 716-2853454.
on flat or round surfaces with minimal heat input. Wear- or corrosion-resistant alloy powders are injected through a nozzle to the surface of a substrate where the beam from an averagepower Nd:YAG laser, delivered to the surface via an optical fibre, fuses the powder to the surface. A metallurgical bond is created between the two materials with little dilution of the deposited material by the substrate. As a result, the wear or corrosion properties of the deposited alloy are preserved. Dr Milan Brandt, who leads the research team, says most of the experiments were performed with a nickel-based alloy powder, N10002. Uniform clad layers in excess of 1 mm thick can be achieved in a single pass with an average laser power of 240 watts delivered through a 600 pmdiameter glass fibre. The clad layer obtained is homogeneous, without porosity or cracks, and has low dilution (less than 2%). The layers
demonstrated superior corrosion resistance, compared with layers depositwith the Plasma ed Transferred Arc technique and continuous wave Nd:YAG laser. These encouraging results render the technique competitive, Brandt says. The low heat input makes it particularly attractive for cladding thin substrates and engineering components that require
both corrosion or wearresistant surfaces and high dimensional stability (minimal warping). In addition, the use of fibre optics to deliver the laser beam to the workpiece offers significant opportunities for surfacing components remote from the laser source. CSIRO Manufacturing Science & Technology; tel: +61-Z-9413-7194; fax: +61Z-9413- 7637.
Pulsed lasers, fibre optics and nickel powders combine to make engineered components more corrosionand wear-resistant.
Advanced Forming Technology opens new facility
mron introduces custom blending at St Marys
ADVANCED Forming Technology (AFT), which produces injection moulded (MIM), thixoformed and metal matrix composite (MMC) components, has moved into a new 11000 m2 manufacturing facility in Firestone, CO, USA. AFT president Istan Vamos says the move from nearby Longmont, CO, where it will retain some manufacturing activity, follows growing demand for its high-volume, complexgeometry parts. It also reflects the incorporation into its activities of the MMC manufacturing business of PCC Composites, which like AFT is a division of Precision Castparts Corp (PCC). “AFT is already bringing in six times the sales it had
PYRON Corp is now offering contract and custom blending of both ferrous and non-ferrous metal powders at its plant in St Marys, PA, USA. The blending facility, opened in 1995, is equipwith a Munson ped Blender capable of blending 20 tonnes per lot. Pyron says Munson blenders are the technologically preferred method when mixing quality sensitive pharmaceutical and food additives where lot to lot homogeneity is essenutilizing the tial. “By advanced technology afforded by the Munson Blender, Pyron can hold critical powder characteristics unobtainable with conventional inverted conical blenders,” says Jack Brennen, plant superintendent.
6 MPR October 1998
when PCC acquired the company back in fiscal 1992,” Vamos says. “Each of AFT’s innovative manufacturing processes are finding wide acceptance in the automotive, communications, electronics and consumer markets. Even with the added space, we expect that we will have the Firestone facility running at capacity four years from now.” AFT is also opening a MIM plant in Bangalore, India, as part of a joint venture, AFT India Pvt. Vamos says this operation will increase AFT’s global reach and enable the division to continue its growth into the next century. Advanced Forming Technology; tel: +l-303~8336000; fax: +l-303-833-6464.
David A. Fix, vice president of sales and marketing, says the move is part of Pyron’s efforts to focus on its core competencies of which blending is a major component. “Subcontracting or jobbing out the blending activity allows parts producers to direct re-sources toward what they do best - make parts, more effectively, and typically at lower costs,” he says. “Pyron is keenly interested in meeting the needs of our customers. This means blending all manufacturers’ powders, on site storage, KANBAN or JIT releases, and meeting special packaging or delivery requirements.” Pyron Corp; tel: +l-716285-3451; fax: +I - 716-2853454.