Polymet Increases Cored Wire Capacity

Polymet Corporation, a wire manufacturer for hardfacing, welding, and thermal spraying, announced that it will increase its capacity for their cored wire process.  The company plans on upgrading current machinery as well as purchasing an additional mill to drive production.

Cored wire, also known as flux cored wire and metal cored wire, has become a staple at Polymet alongside hot extruded solid wire products.  Cored wire consists of an outer metallic sheath housing an internal powder core, suitable for both thermal spraying and MIG welding operations.  Business for these cored wire products have grown tremendously for Polymet over the last several years and increasing capacity will enable production to meet the growing demand.

A major capital investment for this project will include the additional of a new mill.  This will allow for significantly larger output, shorter lead times for customers, and the ability for research and development engineers to experiment more frequently.  Improvements to existing machinery will also take place.  The project is expected to be completed over the next 8 to 10 months.

“Our cored wire products have really taken off over the years, especially for the thermal spray industry,” says Bob Unger, Sales Manager at Polymet.  “It is critical for us to deliver the attention necessary to increase our output for these products.  I am very excited to be involved in the development and growth of this area at Polymet.”

Wire Arc Spray Coatings for the Protection of Boiler Tubes

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.

Examples of particularly effective coatings include:

• FeCrBSi amorphous wire, Polymet’s Vecalloy B and PMET 273

• Carbide containing wire, Polymet’s PMET 297 and PMET 226. These products are best for high wear environments which are often found in coal fired power boilers and circulating fluidized bed boilers

• Ni-43Cr wire, Polymet’s PMET 889.  These products are very effective in combatting corrosion in high sulfur environments found in black liquor recovery boilers and power boilers using high sulfur content coal

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 to Exhibit at FABTECH Las Vegas 2012

Polymet Corporation, an industry leader in wire manufacturing for hardfacing, welding, and thermal spraying, will exhibit at the FABTECH trade show in Las Vegas, November 12-14, 2012.  FABTECH is North America’s largest metal forming, fabricating, and welding event, showcasing new developments in materials and equipment.  The show is expected to have over 25,000 attendees and 1,100 exhibiting companies.

Polymet is consistently an exhibiting member of the FABTECH event.   After recently streamlining its industrial product line, Polymet is eager to utilize the show to market their changes and highlight their POLYSTEL, POLYTUNG, and POLYWEAR products.  POLYSTEL solid and cored wires (equivalents to Stellite) are ideal for the lumber and valve industries.  POLYTUNG and POLYWEAR are utilized primarily in the mining industry.

Bob Unger, Sales Manager for Polymet, states, “FABTECH is one of our favorite shows to attend during the year.  It’s a great place for us to see familiar faces from all over the world and we always have success in meeting new prospects.  Positioning ourselves in the thermal spray pavilion in America’s largest welding show allows us to take full advantage of the exhibition experience.  We are able to showcase our niche, comprehensive thermal spray line as well as promote our hardfacing and welding products.”

Hard Coatings with Hard Bob

Once a month Polymet’s “Hard Bob” will publish 5 helpful tips for thermal spraying in “Hard Coatings with Hard Bob.”

This is an opportunity for customers and operators to gain valuable insight and recommendations from a true industry expert, Bob Unger. Bob is the Sales Manager at Polymet and has been working in the thermal spray industry for over 30 years. With his extensive knowledge, expertise, and passion for the industry, Hard Bob’s tips will serve as your one-stop shop for all thermal spray guidance.

Each Spray Talk article will focus on a specific topic.  The September issue will concentrate on Cored Wire for Arc Spraying.

Dive into our first article below!

Hard Coatings with Hard Bob – September Issue

To view previous articles, click here.
To view Polymet’s thermal spray product catalog, click here.

Polymet’s Solutions for the Lumber Industry

Polymet’s hardfacing wires for the lumber industry have been engineered with one purpose in mind: efficiency. Polymet’s 100% dense, solid POLYSTEL product line utilizes the proprietary hot extrusion process to produce continuous spools of wire suitable for automated gas tungsten arc welding and plasma welding processes. This spooled POLYSTEL wire enables the customer to set up and automate the welding process. Welding automation has advantages such as reduced downtime due to switching out rod, diminished excess labor, and minimized waste of the valuable cobalt based consumable. Polymet also manufacturers small diameter POLYSTEL wire for TIG welding on ultra-thin kerf blades. This results in a more precise weld, eliminating the possibility of excess heat on the blade that causes warping.

Welding POLYSTEL wire onto saw blade applications improves surface finishes and permits significantly longer operational times.  For example, by tipping band saw blade teeth with POLYSTEL 12, the period in which the saw blade isoperation is extended considerably due to an increase in efficiency and dependability of the saw blade.

Our high quality POLYSTEL wire optimizes manufacturing capabilities and application performance. This is critical in an industry where constant attention is focused on wood waste reduction.  The lumber industry works with a valuable natural resource that must be sustained properly.

Typical Lumber Applications 

• Band saw blades
• Circular saw blades
• Frame/gang saw blades
• Ultra-thin kerf saw blades

POLYSTEL products demonstrate the necessary hardness characteristics and wear resistance properties to be used in lumber applications. Saw teeth that are tipped with POLYSTEL can endure shocks triggered by knots, nails, machine jams etc.  A durable and more reliable saw results in better productivity and less material waste.

Product Forms 

Polymet’s rapidly growing POLYSTEL product line supplies most of the hardfacing demands of the lumber industry. The POLYSTEL products are cobalt based alloys with a high chromium and tungsten percentage. They are available in continuous cast rod (3.2mm and up), extruded rod (0.9mm and up), and extruded spooled wire (0.9mm – 2.0mm). Please see the product offers for this industry. 

Hardfacing Wire Manufacturer Polymet Corporation to Expand its Capacity and Create New Jobs

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.

Capital Project Plans Include

• A new state of the art strand annealer

• A new rolling and drawing mill

• Upgraded pay-offs and take-ups for intermittent processing steps

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.

Polymet’s Solutions for the Valve Industry

Polymet’s industrial line of hardfacing and welding wire is utilized heavily in the valve industry. Hardfacing material is applied to the contact surfaces and moving areas of the valve to provide wear resistance and corrosion resistance. Our wire is used to hardface valves in markets such as nuclear power, oil & gas, chemical, mining, and refining.

Valve components are hardfaced with Polymet’s POLYSTEL wire. This cobalt-based material is hot extruded to produce rod and small diameter wire. The rod is used for Tungsten Inert Gas welding operations while the small diameter wire is typically spooled, suitable for automated and robotic welding. Automation has significant consumable advantages over traditional methods, allowing reduced downtime due to switching out material, diminished excess labor, and minimized waste of the valuable cobalt-based material.  The rod POLYSTEL material may also be coated and is then used for Shielded Metal Arc Welding processes.

Polymet’s POLYSTEL wire is primarily applied as an overlay for carbon steel, stainless steel, and nickel-based alloys.  For example, valve seats and plugs can be hardfaced with POLYSTEL 6, a cobalt-based material with nominal composition of Co (Bal), Cr (27), Cr (4), and C (1) that will produce a wear and corrosion resistant coating extending the life of the application. Many valves that involve high pressure, high temperature steam require alloys such as POLYSTEL to withstand their harsh operating environment.

Typical valve applications 

• Plugs
• Gates
• Seats
• Stems

There are various types of valves that consist of multiple components that can require hardfacing.  The most common are ball valves, gate valves, butterfly valves, and diaphragm valves.  The POLYSTEL products demonstrate the necessary hardness characteristics and wear resistance properties to be used in valve applications. Resistance to high temperatures is also a critical property of these hardfacing alloys.

Product forms 

Polymet’s rapidly growing POLYSTEL product line supplies most of the hardfacing demands of the valve industry. POLYSTEL products are ideal for adhesive wear, contact fatigue, corroision, and erosion. Their strength and ability to withstand these wear factors make POLYSTEL one of the most exceptional hardfacing consumables on the market. They are available in continuous cast rod (3.2mm and up), extruded rod (0.9mm and up), and extruded spooled wire (0.9mm – 2.0mm). Please see the product offers for this industry.

Polymet’s Solutions for the Aerospace Market

Polymet was founded in 1967 as a small consulting firm servicing the aerospace industry and quickly grew into a pioneer of the gas turbine hardfacing and welding world. Through a proprietary hot extrusion process, we are able to manufacture very hard alloys with little ductility in small diameter wire form.  Applications in the aerospace industry require this small diameter, high performance wire for critical assembly and repair processes. A number of our thermal spray products are also used in this industry for wear and corrosion resistance coatings, abrasion resistance, and high temperature resistance.

Due to the extreme environment of a gas turbine engine, deterioration will occur over time. Some of the factors contributing to this deterioration are high temperatures, metal to metal wear, and corrosion. The engine components exposed to these wear factors necessitate products that are unsurpassed in quality, efficiency, and dependability for the assembly and repair processes. The majority of Polymet’s wire is used in low pressure and high pressure turbine blades.

Typical Gas Turbine Engine Applications 

• Blades and  vanes 
• Nozzle frames and casings
• Structural components
• Hot section components
• Vane brazing
• Engine casings
• Combustors

Quality 

We are a company certified to ISO 9001:2008-AS 9100:2009 Rev. C and hold quality approvals and certifications from industry leaders such as General Electric, Pratt & Whitney, Rolls Royce, and Honeywell. Our commitment to quality along every step of the manufacturing process, from raw materials to finished goods, is unparalleled.

Through our dedication to quality, we are able to manufacture high performance wire that will extend product life, increase product efficiency, and decrease operating costs by providing the most superior product on the market.

Product forms 

Polymet offers both nickel and cobalt based alloys to supply the industry with the quality wire they need. Our wire ranges from 0.012” – 0.093” in diameter and may be spooled or cut to specific lengths. These products are suitable for laser welding, GTAW, plasma welding, hot wire TIG, and GMAW.

Thermal spray products include aluminum, nickel, zinc, and molybdenum based alloys. They are available in 0.062” and 0.125” diameter forms.

Importance of Cast & Helix: Wire Feeding Tips

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.

Hardfacing with Tungsten Carbide for Wear Resistance

Hardfacing is a welding process of build-up deposits of alloys to resist corrosion, abrasion, high temperature, or impact.  Hardfacing increases a part’s service life and can thus directly affect machinery efficiency and reduce the amount of equipment that is scrapped.  When addressing wear resistance needs, high-deposit hardness material does not always provide the best overall wear resistance.  Rather, when choosing a hardfacing alloy for wear resistance, the presence of carbides must be considered in addition to hardness properties.

Alloys that are typically used for hardfacing include iron-base alloys, cobalt-base alloys, nickel-base alloys, and tungsten carbides.  Tungsten carbide is one of the most superior metal-to-earth abrasion resistant hardfacing materials.  When compared to a chromium carbide overlay, a machine part hardfaced with tungsten carbide can experience a 3 to 5 time increase in service performance.

Polymet offers two tungsten carbide wires, POLYTUNG NiBWC, with a Ni-B-Si-matrix, and POLYTUNG NiCrBWC, with a Ni-Cr-B-Si-matrix.  The matrix is responsible for roughly 35-40% of the deposit alloy while the tungsten carbide consists of the remaining 60% of the deposit alloy.  Both of these alloys have a macro crystalline carbide structure.  Some of the applications that are hardfaced using Polymet’s POLYTUNG wires are dredge cutter heads & teeth, ID elbows & pipes, oil tool bits, and bucket teeth.  Hardfacing with tungsten carbide materials can be applied to industries such as mining, oil & gas, and construction.