Welcome back for another round of HCWHB! We hope you had a great Thanksgiving Holiday!
November’s focus will be on the advantages of using twin wire arc spray.
I am going to touch on the technical, economical, and operational advantages in using a twin arc spray system. Enjoy my tips below:
To view previous articles, click here.
To view Polymet’s thermal spray product catalog, click here.
Welcome back for another round of Hard Coatings with Hard Bob! In this article we are focusing on the effect of atomizing air pressure on arc spray coatings.
When arc spraying, there are a number of technical parameters that will affect the coating. One of the most important parameters for arc spraying is atomizing air pressure. Changing the air pressure has a major effect on the following: density, hardness, oxide content, surface roughness, machinability, and bond strength.
If you increase the air pressure, the particle velocity increases and the particles become smaller because they are atomized more finely. I recommend that the desired coating properties first be determined before selecting an atomizing air pressure. Check out the rest of this month’s tips in the article below:
To view previous articles, click here.
To view Polymet’s thermal spray product catalog, click here.
Last week at FABTECH Las Vegas, Bob Unger, Sales Manager at Polymet, gave a presentation on “New Developments in Cored Wires for Thermal Spraying.” The presentation focused on the use of unique alloys in thermal spraying that are not available in solid wire form. These unique alloys include amorphous, nano, and self-fluxing alloys. Bob also discussed successful applications for these cored wire alloys.
Bob’s presentation was a part of FABTECH’s Conferences and Professional Events segment of the show, which included various presentations, seminars, and networking opportunities. His particular talk was held in the thermal spray conference room. Other thermal spray industry presentations included “Corrosion and Protection Offered by a Dispersed Oxide Coating System” and “Thermal Spray Methods & Equipment – 1800’s through the 1930’s.”
Thanks for valuable insight on cored wires Bob!
For industrial boiler tubes, erosion and corrosion are inevitable. However, thermal spray coatings, particularly wire arc spray, have proven very effective at extending the service life of boiler tubes by preventing these wear factors. Spraying a protective coating is a proven cost-effective solution that will extend the boiler lifecycle and decrease boiler downtime.
Coal fired power boilers, circulating fluidized bed boilers (CFB’s) and black liquor boilers (BLRB’s) in the pulp and paper industry, have all been successfully coated to extend the life of the boiler tubes. The coatings are typically applied 20-30 millimeters (0.5-0.75 mm) thick and will most often provide 5-10 years of protection.
All wire arc spray protective coatings can be applied in the shop or on-site.
Please contact Sales Manager and thermal spray expert Bob Unger for more information regarding boiler tube protection and wire arc spraying.
Polymet begins work on several capital projects aimed at expanding its capacity to roll and draw specialty wire and adding jobs
Polymet Corporation, a leading producer of hardfacing wire, welding wire and thermal spray wire, has approved plans and began work to significantly increase its specialty wire rolling and drawing capacity. Currently Polymet uses very specialized rolling and drawing techniques to produce high quality wire used in applications like aerospace and industrial gas turbines, nuclear power plants and sulfuric acid plants. Polymet’s proprietary cleaning techniques and specialty processing have been incorporated into the specifications of many gas turbine and nuclear applications as the standard by which products are measured against.
Polymet’s plan to increase its capacity will enable the company to keep up with growing demand from current customers as well as seek out new business from companies in need of high quality wire solutions.
Full implementation of the expansion is expected to be completed over the next 12 months, with parts of the plan falling into place as soon as the end of the year. Polymet expects these investments to more than double their rolling and drawing capacity as well as the number of people employed in this area of their business.
“For years we have serviced a core group of very demanding customers with our unique attention to detail and ability to roll and draw hard to work alloys in ways that make our wire quality second to none. We are very excited to be in a position to expand this area of our business and focus effort on offering our services to a wider range of customers. We are very proud to be able to increase manufacturing capacity, spend money and add jobs here in the States in today’s global manufacturing environment. Once in place our new capacity will enable us to offer better lead times to existing customers and attract new business opportunities. It is very exciting.” – says Danny Newman, Hardfacing & Welding Wire sales manager at Polymet.
The cast and helix are two physical properties that are extremely important when evaluating wire for MIG welding and thermal spraying. These two properties affect the wire’s feedability, as well as weld accuracy, arc wander, consumable life, and contact current pickup.
Polymet prides itself on delivering wire that has excellent cast and helix that always meet specifications. This allows weld operators and thermal spray operators to work more efficiently with minimal downtime. Exceptional cast and helix also extend equipment life, minimizing expenses for operators.
Check out our video below to find out more about cast and helix and how it impacts processing.
Polymet Corporation, a well-known industry leader of hardfacing, welding, and thermal spray wire, introduced thermal spray powder to its successful line of products. Polymet is eager to extend its presence in the thermal spray industry by offering High Velocity Oxy-Fuel thermal spray powder. These HVOF materials will offer high density, low porosity, and high bond strength.
Prior to the addition of powder to the product line, Polymet provided thermal spray materials for wire arc spray and wire flame spray processes. Now, tungsten carbide-based powders for HVOF systems will be joining the successful group of thermal spray products. Tungsten carbides have excellent wear resistance and corrosion resistance properties. Polymet will focus on the following four tungsten carbides: WC-12Co, WC-17Co, WC-10Ni, and WC-10Co-4Cr. Each product will be -45/+15 microns in size.
“Through this new product offering, Polymet will be reaching new prospects and finally meeting the needs of existing customers requiring powder in addition to wire,” says Pete Humphries, Marketing Manager for Polymet. “This is truly a product that can generate growth in our company,” Pete states, “I am very excited to be at the forefront of this new line.” Pete will be responsible for heading the thermal spray powder campaign.
Countless applications can be processed with Polymet materials in industries such as aerospace, power generation, automotive, and petrochemical. As an ISO 9001:2008 certified manufacturer, Polymet assures the highest levels of quality in their materials.
Please find our product offerings below:
Polymet will be exhibiting at the International Thermal Spray 2012 Conference & Exposition in Houston, Texas on May 21-23. The ITSC 2012 is the world’s foremost international conference and exposition for thermal spray technologists, researchers, manufacturers and suppliers.
The conference includes three days of premier technical programming from the world’s leading thermal spray experts and an unparalleled exposition featuring the largest gathering of thermal spray equipment suppliers, consumable and accessory suppliers, vendors, and service providers. In addition, attendees will benefit from dynamic educational programs and networking events. Lectures will be given by industry experts Brian J. Fitzgerald (Exxon Mobil) and Mitch Dorfman, FASM (Sulzer Metco Fellow).
Polymet will showcase their thermal spray/arc spray wire product line of iron, nickel, copper and aluminum-based alloys. These products are excellent for thermal spray coatings resisting abrasion, oxidation, and corrosion as well as allowing for dimensional restoration, electrical conductivity, and bond coats. Polymet’s thermal spray products include both solid and metal cored wires in 1/16″ and 1/8″ diameters.
Bob Unger, sales manager at Polymet, states “The ISTC is a great way to network and exhibit in such a niche market such as Thermal Spray. We are excited to be a part of the 2012 show in Houston, Texas.”
Please stop by Booth 215 so that we may introduce ourselves and say hello!
Polymet Corporation, a leading manufacturer of high performance hardfacing wire, welding wire, and thermal spray wire located in Cincinnati, will exhibit at the 15th international welding exhibition «Svarka-Welding 2012» in St. Petersburg, Russia on May 15-18.
Svarka-Welding Exhibition is one of the biggest events in Russia dedicated to showcasing a full spectrum of metal forming, fabricating, and welding equipment and technology. Within its 40 year history, Svarka-Welding has taken the leading position among other large industrial forums in Russia, CIS and Baltic countries. It is now regarded as a very important event, targeted to develop the Russian welding industry and aim for the modernization of the industrial sector of the Russian economy and its rapid technical advancement.
Polymet will focus on exhibiting its high performance industrial line of hardfacing and welding wire as well as emphasizing the quality of its thermal spray products. POLYSTEL, POLYTUNG, and POLYWEAR products will be at the forefront of the industrial showcase. Iron and nickel-based alloy products will take the lead for thermal spray.
Danny Newman, sales manager for Polymet Corporation states, “This will be our second trade show in Russia where we’ll be presenting our latest hardfacing and welding solutions. Russia is a market with huge growth potential. We are actively looking for representatives and distributors to help get our product line into this rapidly growing industry. This show will give us a great opportunity to showcase our hardfacing welding and thermal spray products as well as to meet potential partners and customers.”
At Polymet Corporation, we are committed to delivering the highest quality product to our customers. Relying on our professional expertise, we also believe in providing knowledgeable and helpful industry-related information. As a manufacturer of high-performance hardfacing wire, welding wire, and thermal spray wire, we understand that deposition is critical during surface enhancement.
Wear resistance, corrosion resistance, and electrical conductivity are just a few examples of surface properties that can be considerably transformed by applying a weld or thermal spray coating. The article found below, written by Polymet experts Robert Unger, Richard Cook, and William Mosier, compares deposits of wires applied by welding, thermal spraying coating, and spray and fuse processes.
The specific methods of deposition Polymet assessed included Gas Metal Arc Welding, Wire Arc Spray, and Spray and Fuse. The evaluation of these methods focused on the mechanical properties of deposits of three different alloys: PMET 273 (FeCrBSi Amorphous Alloy), PMET 860 (Alloy 625), and POLYTUNG NiCrBWC. All three metal cored wire materials have shown success in high-wear applications in both welded and sprayed form.
Check out this great article and share with us your thoughts in the comments below!
Polymet's Blog 