Coatings & Surface Engineering News

Coatings and thin films are important segments of nanotechnology, and with so much hype on the subject, it is hard to understand where the U.S. stands in this important technology. Scott Rickert, chief executive of Nanofilm Ltd., provides a quick summary of a major report issued by the National Center for Manufacturing Science (NCMS) on the status of nano manufacturing in the U.S. Although there is much good news — nanotech is a high priority throughout the entire country — there are certain barriers, such as a lack of investment funds. The entire report is referenced for complete reviewing.

For more on this subject, subscribe to GlobalSpec's e-Newsletter, Nano Technology.

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Sherwin-Williams ExpressTech® product line introduces new technologies that require fewer coats, reduce labor costs, and speed up curing time to improve quality and save time and money. ExpressTech® coatings include Fast Clad®DTM Urethane, Fast Clad® HB Acrylic, Fast Clad® FD Epoxy, Fast Clad® Zinc, FasTop™ Urethane Floor System, and EnviroLastic® Polyurea.

Kolsterising® is a casehardening process primarily for austenitic stainless steels. Wear resistance and resistance to galling is improved, while corrosion resistance remains unchanged.

The process involves the diffusion of carbon into the work piece surface without the formation of chromium carbides. Post treatment hardness is between 1000 and 1200 HV.

Achieve Angstrom-level finishes and precise figure control with Engineered Surface Finishes™ on metals, glass, compound semiconductors, ceramics, and coatings. Fifty years of custom fabrication, lapping, diamond turning, 3D deterministic polishing, cleanroom, and sophisticated metrology services. Prototypes and production quantities that meet your specifications.

Best Practices Protection of chutes, hoppers, scalpers, screws, etc. used by quarries and processing plants that wear out relatively quickly with a cast in place thick (1/4 in. - unlimited) polyurea hydbrid lining. Our cast lining material becomes tack free in less than two minutes and into service after 24 hours.

Wadington North America produces injection-molded single-use cutlery trademarked "Reflections." What makes this cutlery unique is an in-line, vacuum metallization coating technology that produces a beautiful, high-quality silver finish.

Injection Molding magazine details the molding machine and sputtering equipment, and gives a good description of how sputtering works.

In the July issue, we reviewed the use of plasma technology for substrate cleaning. In this report from Medical Design Technology, Gerhard Winter of PLASMAtech explains how gas plasma processing offers an environmentally-friendly method for cleaning, activation, and coating procedures applied to the manufacture of medical devices. In addition to surface modification, technologies such as plasma-enhanced CVD (PECVD) can be used to create thin films.

This newsletter has reviewed a number of diverse cleaning and surface preparation technologies, including last month's feature about dry ice. Now, we explore another technology, ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) water jets. Flow International of Kent, WA, offers UHP water jet technology for a wide variety of applications, including coating removal and surface preparation. Because it creates no airborne dust and produces no waste material to collect, 40,000 psi water is a cost-effective, versatile, and environmentally-friendly cleaning choice.

The UK is often credited with being the birthplace of the formal technology of "surface engineering."

Fittingly, the University of Southampton maintains an excellent information resource: The SurfaceWeb Guide to Surface Engineering, that contains a section on surface preparation. A number of methods to prepare a substrate surface are listed and described.

AnoChem TCP replaces hexavalent chromate conversion coatings used for aluminum alloys without sacrificing corrosion resistance, electrical contact resistance, or organic topcoat adhesion properties, and while meeting regulatory requirements of RoHS, WEEE, ELV legislation, and in compliance with MIL-C-5541.

Visit our Web site.

All-dielectric, high-reflective (HR) coatings offer a very high efficiency and a much higher laser induced damage threshold than enhanced and protected metal mirrors. They are designed for high reflection over one or more spectral bands, or as broadband reflector coverings.

Find out more about Cascade...

When a bearing can no longer support the lubricating oil film, bad things happen. Techniques such as temperature and vibration analysis have been developed to monitor bearing distress before catastrophic failure occurs. Identification of damage, prior to failure, is critical to diagnosing potential bearing problems. William Strecker of Kingsbury reviews how to spot the damage modes: pitting, fatigue, erosion, and corrosion.

There is a new resource for the important topic of Tribology. The Institute of Tribology and Coatings is a relatively new, nonprofit, collaborative organization that offers a range of tribological services. In addition to testing and failure analysis capabilities, R&D projects include advanced lubricants. A special emphasis is placed on military applications, such as equipment failure in the Middle East.

That's the claim SKF makes for its proprietary lubrication technology. A polymer matrix with millions of micro-pores is saturated with lubricating oil; using the bearing cage as a reinforcement element, the matrix rotates with the cage. Re-lubrication is never needed, as the reservoir of oil trapped in the matrix — 70% by weight — is designed to outlast the bearing’s life.

With higher performing engines and transmissions, demands on automotive lubrication systems continue to mount. An Intelligent Lubrication® system from Dana Automotive utilizes a secondary electric oil-boost pump to match oil supply requirements with the real time engine and transmission oil demands. Among a number of benefits, the system eliminates dry running, saves fuel, and extends oil life.

The Nordson Corporation ColorMax® E powder spray and recovery system is designed for quick 10-15 minute color changes with high system efficiency, optimum airflow, and maximum powder usage to meet today's flexible manufacturing system environments. Several system features minimize powder-in-process, promote easy booth cleaning, and provide fast powder-supply-system changes.

The mating surfaces of the coating and the surface are analyzed for contaminants and loose material by FTIR and EDS Spectroscopy. The paint or coating is analyzed by FTIR Spectroscopy and compared to a “good" sample. The condition of the surface is determined by Optical Microscopy or Scanning Electron Microscopy.

More from New Hampshire Materials Laboratory, Inc.

DiceEngineering.com offers thousands of quality engineering jobs at top technology and engineering companies. Find jobs in your area of expertise. Search now.

The Materials Information Society has posted an opening with Microfuze Americas of Chattanooga, TN. The company's new Director of Technology will lead scale-up to full production of a microwave-based diffusion coating. A background in metals and coatings is required; experience in the pack cementation process is a plus.

There is unending discussion and a great deal of work being done on the topic of Lean Manufacturing. What is surprising to learn from infor's Lean Resource Center is the 98% failure rate in obtaining lean objectives. In this white paper, a complete review of lean concepts and traditional approaches, as well as recommendations for better implementation, are offered. You will learn what a lean enterprise really is, and why a comprehensive strategy is key to success.

The risks of sleepiness and fatigue in the workplace due to shift work are well documented. Shift work is considered work outside the normal nine-to-five hours, and in our new global environment, these hours are becoming more prevalent. The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving public health and safety. Their Web site includes a wealth of information on sleep and sleep-related problems, including shift work sleepiness that can lead to errors, accidents, and chronic illness.

In last issue's Careers section, we discussed how to become a millionaire — even if you are a coatings and surface engineer. What better way to show your success than a gold-plated Porsche.

gizmag reports…

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