March 10th, 2006 - Volume 1 Issue 1

Mark your calendars! Three of the world’s leading technical conferences: the 5th International Surface Engineering Congress, the International Thermal Spray Conference, and AeroMat Conference will take place May 15-18 in Seattle, WA. The Surface Engineering Congress will focus on all aspects of surface engineering technology in industrial applications. The programming will include micro and nanoscale technology, surface properties, and tribology.

To view details on all the events, view the ASM International Web site.

Micro Care Corporation offers a complete family of general purpose industrial-quality surface cleaners. All work fast, without elbow grease. They dry without residues, and generally are safe for people and the planet. In many instances, these are the most cost-effective choices in the industry.

Master Bond Inc., of Hackensack, NJ has successfully developed an air drying conformal coating Polymer System EP56. It is specifically formulated for high performance applications where hardness, flexibility, and chemical and abrasion resistance are required in addition to superior electrical insulation characteristics.

Surface engineering is used in an ever growing number of applications, from jet engines to decorative bath and kitchen fixtures, in order to solve problems like wear or corrosion and to improve component performance. Since there are a wide range of surface engineering processes, knowing which technology to use for a particular application can be a difficult task. A good place to start is to know the various technologies available and how they are classified. This paper shows one good classification technique and several factors for selecting the most appropriate technology.

[To access the paper, follow the link for "General Surface Engineering Information" and then for "Classes of Coatings..."]

Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) and Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) coatings are the primary thin film coatings used on a wide range of cutting tools. To view a chart listing typical properties of key coatings and recommended applications, see the Niagara Cutter Web site. Because of the hardness, low coefficient of friction, and non-reactivity of coatings such as Titanium Nitride (TiN), cutting edges experience minimal build-up of work piece chip material, as shown on the site’s video.

Cleaning is an important technology for successful coatings and substrate modifications, but how clean is clean? How do you measure and quantify surface cleanliness? Reading this article will help you better understand the definition of precision cleaning and how to measure what is required — specifically the use of Optically Stimulated Electron Emission (OSEE).

Contamination of the substrate can pose many problems for surface engineering. It is well known that proper surface preparation is critical to obtaining optimum adhesion of coatings to a substrate. There is a vast array of cleaning technologies and those using ultrasonic technology are widely used in industry. Learn more about this technology here.

Superior oil stop primer is a high solids, two component epoxy primer designed to be compatible with petroleum-based oil and greases. Oil stop primer mixes with the oil in the surface, penetrating deeply to tie up and lock in contamination, leaving a sound surface for coatings and toppings.

Learn more about Superior Epoxies & Coatings, Inc.

MINTEQ® International Inc., Pyrogenics Group’s sprayable intumescence FIREX™ coatings are used to buy time — critical time — for the containment and suppression of thermal threats to personnel, equipment, and structures. These coatings are also used to protect surfaces exposed to high thermal flux and aerodynamic shear.

One of the keys to solving a tool or component failure is to understand the entire tribological system and the potential failure mechanisms. Abrasive and adhesive wear, surface fatigue, tribo-oxidation, and corrosion are some of those encountered. Go here to learn about and see examples of these typical wear mechanisms.

The Center For Tribology claims to be “the largest provider of tribology test instrumentation and the largest tribology testing laboratory in the world.” Follow the link for “What is Tribology?” on the Web site for a definition and bookmark “Useful Links” for an excellent file of tribology resources.

The performance of a tool or component in a tribological system is often improved with proper lubrication. Learn more about lubrication theory and factors affecting proper lubricant performance by viewing Lubrizol’s Web site. Follow the link for "Lubrications Theory."

Environmental and cost considerations are a driving force for reducing the amount of lubrication used in manufacturing operations when possible. Often, the use of the proper surface engineering technology may reduce or eliminate the requirement for lubrication. View this case history of how a metal former was able to reduce the amount of lubrication and improve the manufacturing operation with a vanadium carbide coating applied through thermal diffusion technology.

Clearweld coatings are solvent-based materials that enable two pieces of plastic to be welded by efficiently converting laser energy to heat. They can be used on a wide range of substrates and with a variety of colors, provided one of the substrates is laser-transmissive.

Read more about Clearweld, A Division of Gentex.

SemiCon Precision Industries, Inc. uses both TAFA and HAI twin-wire arc systems for superior and flexible application of material to substrates. It utilizes two energized metal wires, which are fed from spools to form an electric arc when they converge in a torch. The resulting molten metal is atomized with compressed air and projected to the substrate.

Among the career openings listed, Guardian Industries is seeking a Commercial Development Engineer with responsibilities in the areas of: product testing, certification, and verification, as well as market development. Additional positions listed include: Process Scientist, Field Service Engineer, Process Leader, Project Leader, Senior Staff Engineer, Vacuum Coating Technician, Group Leader, and Raw Material Process Engineer. All descriptions and required qualifications are available for viewing on the Society of Vacuum Coaters (SVC) Web site.

As the American Society of Engineering Education notes in their publication Prism, NASCAR has grown into a really big business. With that growth comes the pressure for race teams to find every advantage. They are turning to the engineering profession for the latest technology to gain that edge. Some engineering curriculums actually now offer mechanical engineering degrees with specialties in motor sports engineering. Read more about this growing trend.

Public speaking ranks high on the anxiety list for many people. While it is a critical skill that requires considerable effort and practice, there are many sources that offer help and suggestions for improvement such as Paul Evans’ 20 public-speaking tips for clarity, connection, and confidence.

With all the interest in energy sources, wouldn’t it be nice to know various fuel energy equivalents such as: What’s the energy equivalent of propane compared to coal? With this calculator you will now be able to calculate the answer and that of any combination of 20 fuel categories.

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