Coatings & Surface Engineering News

April 14th, 2006 - Volume 1 Issue 2

One of the major pending changes in the surface engineering industry during the last decade has been the proposed lowering of the exposure level to hexavalent chrome used in hard chrome plating. Recently the Federal Register announced the new OSHA standard, which substantially lowers the exposure level. In anticipation of these changes, the industry has had a long time to consider a number of alternatives to using hexavalent chrome.

Beverly Graves’ article discusses some of the potential alternatives including: part redesign, surface modification technologies, thermal spray, nickel-based coatings, and trivalent chromium.

Surfx Technologies offers fast, safe, and effective atmospheric plasma tools for cleaning, deposition, etching, and surface activation. Our tools can treat many materials including plastics, metals, and composites — regardless of the size or shape. Great for improved bonding, coating, painting, or marking.

Goldenedge® is an ultra-hard, micro-thin coating for use on the cutting edges of blades, knives, slicers, and other sharp-edged devices. The coating resists wear and abrasion while dramatically lengthening service life by as much as 20 times. Goldenedge® keeps equipment at the cutting edge of efficiency.

Learn more about General Magnaplate Corporation.

Coating technology is found everywhere. In addition to the numerous industrial applications, there are many coatings used in everyday life. Coatings used on compact disks, on architectural glass in building windows, and anti-reflective coatings for eye glass lenses are but a few examples. Donn McCarthy explains what A/R coatings are, why they are needed, and how they work by providing destructive interference. In addition, the AR Council shows a list of anti-reflective lens benefits and a chart of light transmittance comparing coated and uncoated lenses.

The medical device manufacturing industry has experienced explosive growth and coatings have played a vital and growing role. Erik Swain’s article in Medical Device Link describes the success of coatings used in drug-eluting stents, and the impact this success has had on the industry adapting numerous coatings to a wide range of other applications. Medical device designers are taking advantage of the hardness, lubricity, chemical resistance, conductivity, and antimicrobial action properties of coatings such as Parylene, sputtered thin films, and chrome-based plating.

Last month’s newsletter stressed the importance of substrate cleaning prior to coating and some very sophisticated techniques for measuring surface cleanliness. John Durkee’s article reviews the procedures for very simple, yet effective, visual inspection techniques. The recommendations offered for implementing an effective visual inspection program include: a good reference or metrics for visual observation; good documentation of observations including the use of digital cameras and microscopes; and the use of UV “black” light for detecting a number of potential contaminants. In addition, the author lists a number of items to be included in a very economical “kit” for cleanliness testing.

Cleaning is an important technology for successful coatings and substrate modifications.

In this report by F. John Fuchs, cleaning and contamination are defined, and a variety of methods for removing both soluble and insoluble contaminants are reviewed. These methods include traditional solvents, such as aqueous chemistries, co-solvents, and semi-aqueous. In addition, cleaning techniques and equipment using these solvents are discussed.

Mar Cor Purification’s Minncare® Cold Sterilant is a peracetic acid solution developed for use on reverse osmosis (RO) membranes and associated distribution systems against short- and long-term bacterial problems. It is a powerful oxidant that stops organism growth by oxidizing microbial cell proteins and enzyme systems, and effectively removes biofilms.

Lower cost performance coatings are, as the name implies, a less expensive coating solution (as compared to thermal spray) for less demanding applications. These coatings provide high corrosion and chemical resistance (better than thermal spray), good abrasion resistance, and can be modified to provide lubrication and thereby improve wear resistance.

Find out more about Ellison Group.

It is important to evaluate all possible causes and then isolate a root cause of a tool or component failure. This paper differentiates a regular failure from a field failure and offers 12 key points for conducting an effective field failure analysis. The author also provides a good list of some of the reasons a component or tool may fail.
Get the Do’s and Don’ts here.

Friction is one of the key failure mechanisms responsible for premature tool or component failures. This Web site provides an excellent reference source for the subject of friction including definitions and ranges of friction coefficients, and a variety of coatings and lubrication that can be used to reduce friction.

[Select "Coating Selection" and then "Friction" in the menu]

As reviewed in the March issue, there is an ongoing effort by industry to reduce the level of lubricant consumption for both environmental and economic factors. This can be accomplished through surface engineering and/or the use of specialized equipment such as that provided by Unist.

The Unist Web site provides application examples from the metalworking industry explaining how lubricant usage can be reduced through the use of specialized spray and roller lubrication systems.

The automotive industry has been increasing its use of AHSS (advanced high strength steel) in a continuing effort to reduce vehicle weight while maintaining structural strength. However, these new steels require twice the forming energy forces as traditional steels, resulting in tooling and production problems. Companies such as IRMCO now provide specialized lubricants for these demanding applications. Extreme Pressure (ET) High Solid Polymer (HSP) fluids have the unique characteristic of increasing in viscosity with increasing temperature caused by the high friction created during the forming process. Thus, the ET films provide the needed protection between the tool and formed part.

[Select your language and then "High Strength Steel Forming Optimization."]

TARA EMI-RFI shielding has a property that is unique among spray-on shieldings — it is non-flaking. If an internal coating of an electronic enclosure flakes off, the copper particles may interfere with electronic components and circuitry. TARA's conductive film, however, is cohesive — meaning that the metal and the resin binders tenaciously hold together.

Read more about Egyptian Coatings.

Anti-reflective coatings are designed to reduce the amount of light lost to reflection at the surfaces of individual, transmissive elements. Historically, motivation for the development of anti-reflective coatings came from problems with loss of light and ghost images in compound, multi-element lens systems.

Learn more about JML Optical Industries, Inc.

Knowledge of different cultures, networking with key decision makers, management skills, and withstanding rigorous background checks are stressed in this career minder from Fortune magazine.

Follow this link and “get great with these head-hunter-approved strategies.”

In the Diversions section of last month’s newsletter, we reviewed the importance of speaking skills. One of the more important speaking opportunities is the so-called Elevator Speech, a spur of the moment opportunity to quickly and concisely review your background and what you have to offer to fill a potential position. Learn how to take advantage of impromptu situations by reviewing the key points discussed in Margot Carmichael Lester’s article.

For many engineers, the equations explained in this book will bring back some of the wonder of why they enrolled in a science/math curriculum in the first place. The text reacquaints readers with man’s understanding of his physical surroundings and the universal principles that explain his relationship with those surroundings. It is a good reference book, and a good break from marketing and sales.

Look here for reviews.

Not a day goes by that news of what is happening in China is published. Many of us or our customers or our customers’ customer are being impacted by what is occurring there. It is wise to educate yourself in order to be prepared on how to respond to both opportunities and challenges from China. The following paper by Deloitt & Touche is a good starting point. The report provides a number of comparisons between the U.S. and China, including a graph of China’s impact on U.S. industry profitability.

[Scroll down under current white papers to "The China Factor".
A quick registration is required.]

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