Spraytime

Attend the ITSA 2024 Annual Meeting

In conjunction with Florida International University (FIU) and the Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP), the International Thermal Spray Association (ITSA) will hold its 2024 Annual Meeting at AWS World Headquarters, Miami, Fla., on November 6 and 7.

The 2024 Annual Meeting will feature a visit to FIU’s Engineering campus, home to the university’s new Cold Spray and Rapid Deposition Laboratory.

A partnership with AMPP sets the stage for presentations and possible sponsorship opportunities.

This one-and-a-half day event also features meetings of the AWS C2 Committee on Thermal Spraying and ITSA executive committee. A formal ITSA business meeting will also be held.

Attendees should plan to arrive in Miami on November 5 and depart following lunch on the afternoon of November 7.

Additional information about this event will become available in the coming months. Updates on the 2024 Annual Meeting will be posted on the newly revised ITSA website at 
thermalspray.org.

Kennametal Partners with American Precision Museum

Kennametal Inc., Pittsburgh, Pa., a machinery parts manufacturer, has partnered with the American Precision Museum (APM), Windsor, Vt., home to a large collection of historically significant machine tools.

“Our partnership with APM is a natural fit to tell Kennametal’s 85-year story of expertise and innovation across industries while also showcasing where we’re headed next,” said Keith Mudge, Kennametal vice president of sales — Americas.

As part of this collaboration, APM is showcasing the company’s tools in its makerspace, where visitors can explore and learn about different machining solutions. Kennametal will also contribute to historical exhibits showcasing the work of the company’s founder, metallurgist Philip McKenna, and its longstanding legacy in the manufacturing industry overall.

“It is particularly fulfilling to be supported by a world-class innovator of machining solutions,” said APM Chair Lee Morris. “We look forward to presenting the story of Philip McKenna’s development of tungsten carbide, and we are very fortunate to have Kennametal’s ongoing support as we attempt to inspire next generations to develop careers in manufacturing.”

Flame Spray North America Grows Operations

Flame Spray North America, a thermal spray coatings manufacturer located in Fountain Inn, S.C., is expanding its operations in Laurens County, S.C. The company’s $2.5-million investment will create 40 new jobs.

The expansion includes the addition of advanced thermal spray coating technologies for servicing industrial gas turbine components and technological improvements for the current facility.

“Flame Spray North America is thrilled to continue to grow in Laurens County, South Carolina,” Flame Spray North America President and CEO Marco Prosperini said. “We appreciate the support of Laurens County and South Carolina and are deeply grateful for the dedication of our employees and the commitment of our customers.”

ARCI Scientists Develop HVAF-Sprayed Coatings, Hard Chrome Plating Alternative

Scientists from the International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI), Hyderabad, India, an autonomous institution of the Department of Science and Technology, created a new technique of synthesizing thin, hard surface coatings by high-velocity air fuel (HVAF) spraying. The technique has the potential to emerge as an environmentally friendly, safer alternative to hard chrome plating (HCP) used on car parts, tools, and kitchen utensils.

Chrome plating is carcinogenic in nature. This initiated the researchers’ search for a safer, environmentally friendly alternative with an equivalent or superior wear resistance with a crack-free coating.

The ARCI scientists carried out the synthesis of thin, hard coatings of a composite alloy of tungsten, cobalt, and chromium (WC-10Co-4Cr) by HVAF spraying. Thin coatings were deposited via torches with different capacities and by employing different nozzle sizes.

Superior sliding wear performance was noticed with HVAF-sprayed, thin WC-10Co-4Cr coatings against conventional HCP. Corrosion studies showed that the new technique could be a better alternative to HCP for heavy-load applications like hydraulic shafts, valves, piston rods, balls, and more.

The surface roughness of the as-deposited, thin, 
thermal-sprayed WC-10Co-4Cr coatings was found to be an order of magnitude higher than that of HCP.

Further, the coating can be deposited in the as-machined condition to achieve a smooth surface with about a 50-µm coating thickness. This significantly reduces the postcoating finishing operations, an outcome that reduces the processing and raw material cost significantly with better wear resistance than HCP.

The study, published in the Journal of Thermal Spray Technology, volume 32, issue 8, provides the full details of the experiment.

Newly Developed Material Protects Fusion Reactor Walls

Engineers at the University of Wisconsin (UW)–Madison, Madison, Wis., have used a spray coating technology to produce a new workhorse material that can withstand the harsh conditions inside a fusion reactor.

The advance, detailed in a paper published recently in the journal Physica Scripta, could enable more-efficient compact fusion reactors that are easier to repair and maintain.

“The fusion community is urgently looking for new manufacturing approaches to economically produce large plasma-facing components in fusion reactors,” said Mykola Ialovega, a postdoctoral researcher in nuclear engineering and engineering physics at UW–Madison and lead author on the paper. “Our technology shows considerable improvements over current approaches. With this research, we are the first to demonstrate the benefits of using cold spray coating technology for fusion applications.”

The researchers used a cold spray process to deposit a coating of tantalum, a metal that can withstand high temperatures, on stainless steel. They tested their cold spray tantalum coating in the extreme conditions relevant to a fusion reactor and found it performed very well. Importantly, they discovered the material is exceptionally good at trapping hydrogen particles, a feature that is beneficial for compact fusion devices because it helps maintain power in the plasma.

Ialovega conducted experiments on the coated material at facilities at Aix Marseille University in France and Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH in Germany. During these experiments, he found that when he heated the material to a higher temperature, it expelled the trapped hydrogen particles without modifying the coatings — a process that essentially regenerates the material so it can be used again.

“Another big benefit of the cold spray method is that it allows us to repair reactor components on site by applying a new coating,” Ialovega said. “Currently, damaged reactor components often need to be removed and replaced with a completely new part, which is costly and time consuming.”

The researchers plan to use their new material in the Wisconsin HTS Axisymmetric Mirror (WHAM). The experimental device is under construction near Madison and will serve as a prototype for a future next-generation fusion power plant that UW–Madison spinoff Realta Fusion aims to develop. Housed in the Physical Sciences Laboratory, the WHAM experiment is a partnership between UW–Madison, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Commonwealth Fusion Systems.

The researchers are patenting their technology through the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation. — Adam Malecek, University of Madison–Wisconsin

Kymera International Buys Metallisation Ltd.

Kymera International, Research Triangle Park, N.C., a global specialty materials and surface technologies company, has acquired Metallisation Ltd., a UK manufacturer and worldwide supplier of thermal and metal spray equipment, consumables, wires, and powders.

Metallisation will contribute to the continued growth of Kymera’s Surface Technologies business and its ability to deliver turnkey engineered solutions to global Tier 1 and original equipment manufacturer customers, specifically in the UK and the European region. This acquisition also expands Metallisation’s product offerings, enhancing its market positioning and growth opportunities.

“The acquisition of Metallisation aligns with our strategic initiatives and strengthens Kymera’s position in the thermal spray sector,” Kymera CEO Barton White commented. “We will now be able to provide our aerospace customers with a vertically integrated offering that includes equipment, materials, and application services.”

ATCAM Expands Facility

ATCAM, a thermal spray coating and machine shop in Little Chute, Wis., has begun work on a 30,000-sq-ft addition to its facility.

The new space will include additional cranes, a loading dock, an office, and shop space. The addition is expected to be completed by summer 2024.

“With this expansion, ATCAM will be able to expand the services we provide for current customers as well as attract new customers along the way with the additional processes and machinery that we will be adding,” ATCAM Former President Peter Andres said in an article by Ashley Kaster on Fox 11 News.

Andres’s son, Nate, recently assumed the role of president of ATCAM and is now overseeing operations.

The company expects to hire more employees once the addition is completed.