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At our Chester division, we recently had our annual AS9100 Recertification Audit, this covers all of the business and because of Covid this time it was completed remotely by the auditors.
It has been a difficult year for everyone, but we have all kept the business going and moving forward effectively and this was highlighted throughout the audit and resulted in ZERO FINDINGS this year.
When components and machinery are running smoothly you may not consider additional treatment to the material. But consider what happens should one of these parts fail. Lengthy downtime, potentially hefty shipping costs and loss of income could be just a few of problems you may face when it comes to component failure.
To prolong the life of important components and equipment we recommend reducing failure by considering different material treatments.
What are the biggest factors in component failure?
There are many different factors which can be involved when it comes to component failure. There are common issues such as oxidation and rust. Other reasons for component failure can also include tensile stress or fatigue.
At CWST, we diagnose the problem and find a solution with our extensive range of life extending material treatments. Discover some of the most common issues which can cause component failure, that we can help to prevent or fix:
What are material treatments and how do they prevent failure?
There are several types of material treatments to help prolong the life of critical components within powertrain and drivetrain industry. The general purpose of a material treatment is to protect and strengthen the material to avoid failure mechanisms such as stress corrosion cracking and surface wear. By applying a treatment to the surface, you can strengthen and protect the component meaning that it will be able to withstand higher hertzian and contact pressure, heat and tensile stresses along with exposure to harsh operating environments. You can also help to reduce the risk of oxidation, wear, micro pitting, and premature failure which can easily affect certain materials.
One material treatment which will help your crankshafts, camshafts, axels and other components withstand higher loads, operating temperatures and protect against wear for a prolonged period of time is thermal spray coating.
But whichever option you choose, all these material treatments will help prolong the life of your components and avoid problems that can be detrimental to your business.
How do I know which surface treatments will provide the most cost-effective and beneficial results for my critical powertrain and drivetrain components?
Here at CWST, we understand the importance of extending the life and durability of components and structures. CWST can call upon many years’ experience, data and case studies to assist in not only solving post machining and processing problems but also by helping at the design stage.
We can assist in areas such as weight saving and strength enhancements, providing wear and fatigue resistant treatments allowing for the use of lower cost base materials.
These specialised services and processes can be carried out within our worldwide network of facilities and we can even provide some services onsite in customer locations or out in the field.
If you are interested in finding out more about our material treatments, or other services such as shot peening and thermal spray coatings contact us today. Let us show you how we can make your business run more smoothly with fewer component failures.
When machinery, critical components and complex moving parts break down or start developing operating problems it can be detrimental to business. Lengthy downtime, hefty shipping and export costs and a potential loss of business to name a few issues, especially for companies with large machinery and structures out in the field. Therefore, here at CWST, we offer a complete onsite component repair and overhaul service to our customers.
Why is an onsite component repair and overhaul service important?
Most of our clients work in the aerospace, oil, gas, chemical and power generation industries. This means that often the systems and components that develop operating failures or need to be serviced are too large or integrated within structures out in the field such as wind turbines or Steam Gas Turbines. An onsite repair and overhaul service is important as it saves having to bring in specialist equipment to transport the machinery or part which can be costly and time-consuming. This also saves on potentially high shipping and logistics costs as well as lengthy downtime.
Having an onsite component repair and overhaul service is particularly important to us so we can ensure we protect our customers’ critical components where ever they are based providing the best service possible with the least amount of disturbance to their operations.
What plant equipment repair services are offered onsite?
We offer a wide range of repair and overhaul services onsite to ensure our customer’s parts and components are fully functioning. Whilst on-site, our engineers will ensure that our quality approvals and procedures are adhered to just as they would be in our specialised facilities.
Some of the problems we can solve onsite with our component repairs and overhaul services are:
What other services do you offer onsite?
We offer many different repair services to make sure that critical components and structures are protected and perform as they were designed, however, we also appreciate that it is important to overhaul components from time to time as part of regular maintenance schedule to ensure the longevity and safety of equipment out in the field.
Our onsite services include a variety of shot peening and controlled blasting processes such as flapper peening, exfoliation peening for aging aircraft and controlled shot peening of welds and heat-affected zones.
We also provide complete repair and overhaul services for Industrial Steam Gas Turbines including strip, recoat and dressing of compressor blades and associated components.
Here at CWST, we have many years’ experience in developing onsite repair and overhaul services and understand the importance of providing fast and efficient material treatments and processes in any location to keep safety-critical machinery, components and equipment running for as long as possible.
To find out how our onsite component repair and overhaul services can help your business contact us today or find out more about the services we offer to ensure your machines are always running at full power.
Aero engines are application-specific engines built to power an aircraft, however, given the strength and power of aero engines, they can sometimes also be used for other vehicles, in cases where a manufacturer’s design features high-performance specifications.
Common types of aero engines include turboprop, turbojet, turboshaft, ramjet and turbofan engines. These forms of gas-powered engines have increased significantly since the 1900s and it is these technological advances that allow aero engineers to develop high-performance aircraft.
However, recent advances in technology and materials have resulted in component specifications that must withstand more complex and hazardous product environments. Luckily, CWST’s material coating and treatment services can help aero-engine manufacturers to ensure the highest quality and material endurance through our broad range of material solutions.
What is component failure?
Component failure generally occurs due to a sequence of events which as a direct result of design and the chosen materials to the chosen manufacturing process and component assembly. Processes such as heat application, welding, grinding, and machining during the manufacturing stage can cause component failure. Other aspects of manufacturing that can affect material performance and result in aero-engine component failure can include processes like bending, rolling, or forging.
In-service conditions can also directly be attributed to component failure of a part such as volatile temperature change and environmental conditions, uneven high or low cyclic loads or stress profile, compression torsion and bending as well as foreign object damage.
Matching the maintenance needs of the component to a products operating conditions and environment is crucial and the right surface treatment can dramatically extend the life of these critical parts.
Aero-Engine Failure modes
Although aero-engine failure modes are not limited to the below, some of the most common types of failure modes are:
Aero-engine parts such as blade roots, airfoils, tie wire holes, propeller blades and turbine discs, blisks, and drums are susceptible to these failure modes due to their extreme product operating conditions and environment.
Aero-engine material failure mitigation solutions
CWST provide a wide range of material solutions that help to mitigate the common aero-engine failure modes above, this includes:
Known as a cold working process, the shot peening process is applied using spherical media know as shot. As each piece of media hits the surface of the material it creates a tiny indentation where the surface will attempt to yield but is restrained by the substrate material. This combination of forces causes the substrate material to compress creating a beneficial compressive residual stress which leaves the surface material resistant to crack initiation and propagation whilst also removing any tensile stresses as a result of manufacturing.
Find out more about controlled shot peening: “Could your components be improved by Shot Peening?”
The process of laser peening can place exceptionally deep residual compressive stress into key areas of a product to retard crack initiation and growth enabling increased fatigue strength ratings. Laser peening is not a replacement process for controlled shot peening but has additional advantages that can influence which method is best for any given application.
The technique of C.A.S.E ™ isotropic superfinishing has been developed as a metal surface treatment that provides components with excellent bending and contact fatigue strength with resistance to high loading. C.A.S.E ™ (Chemically Assisted Surface Enhancement) is also sometimes referred to as isotropic finishing. Isotropic finishing is a material treatment solution where a product is first shot-peened followed by chemical surface treatment where any mental asperities are gently removed, retaining valleys for optimum oil retention.
Used commonly in the aerospace, automotive and power generation industries, thermal spray coatings produce a cost-effective and high-performance finish which protects metallic components for heat, wear and corrosion, fatigue, and oxidation. Thermal spray coatings can also be used to repair damaged and worn components too.
CWST offer customers a single-source solution and point of contact for all their controlled material surface treatment needs, supporting their requirements through our global network of over 70 facilities worldwide.
To find out more about CWST’s material solutions get in touch with a member of our team, or to find out more about Aero-Engine component failure visit our page about the component and manufactured material problems that CWST solve.
Engineered performance coatings are used on products to protect components from their environment by helping to mitigate corrosion, heat damage and material wear. By mitigating these aspects of product degradation, a longer product life-time could be guaranteed.
CWST are engineered performance coatings experts with facilities worldwide including E/M Coating Services based in the UK and USA, who are specialists in solid film lubricants and anti-corrosion coatings.
At CWST, quality is of the utmost importance. CWST understands the challenged faced by customers to reduce costs and turnaround times while making metal components and equipment last longer and perform more effectively.
To find out more about engineered performance coatings visit our services page or get in touch with a member of our friendly team.
Curtiss -Wright Surface technologies are pleased to announce the addition of in-house Vacuum Brazing, Sintering and Heat treatment within our Component Coating and Repair facility based in Alfreton Derbyshire UK.
The new Vacuum Furnace has a working area of 600mm x 450mmx 900mm and is fitted with a sealed cooling system meeting the latest environmental legislation.
The vacuum brazing process uses a filler alloy which is pre-placed on the component in a location that as the furnace temperature is raised and the filler metal alloy melts, it flows into the assembly capillary joints and affects a strong bond.
The Vacuum Furnace also brings Sintering and Heat Treatment capabilities to Curtiss-Wright Surface technologies for components such as:
Firstly, is oxidation and rust the same thing?
Oxidation is the general chemical reaction of losing one or more electrons in an atom, molecule or ion, however, rust is an oxidation reaction only when iron reacts with water and oxygen. There are different colours of rusts and it’s important to know the difference so you can treat them correctly.
The most common type of corrosion is uniform corrosion. This is where an even layer of oxidation appears across the surface of the material. When metal is exposed to high volumes of water and oxygen, the iron oxidises with a contaminate, this creates “red” rust.
Yellow rust is present in metals that are found in large amounts of standing water. This type of rust is usually found in a solvated state, commonly found near sinks and bathtubs.
Brown rust can react even with lack of moisture, compared to the others highlighted above. Unlike red rust, brown rust can form as non-uniform corrosion, appearing on specific areas of the material rather than the overall surface. The manufacturing process can usually be the result of brown rust when contaminates are found on metal surfaces.
Black rust can form when oxygen cannot reach the material, perhaps it is trapped and covered by another material resulting in a stain-like reaction. Unlike the other types of rust, black rust does not produce as quickly and is not as common which makes it easier to combat.
Premature failure can result in many problems; corrosion, stress corrosion cracking, galling amongst others.
CWST provides a wide range of surface treatment services which can help to mitigate material oxidation and help to increase product life-span and reliability.
HVOF spray coating and Thermal Plasma coatings are used commonly in the aerospace, automotive, power generation and oil and gas industries. This is due to the coatings ability to resist and present oxidation and erosion. There are a wide range of benefits to using Thermal Plasma and HVOF Spray coatings which you can find out more about by visiting our material surface treatment page.
Component failure is often related to residual tensile stress induced during the manufacturing stage. Our controlled shot peening services are a highly cost-effective method to mitigate corrosion fatigue and wear. Find out more about controlled shot peening today by visiting our shot peening services page.
CWST provides a range of Everlube ® products which help to lubricated and protect low frictional resistance between two mating parts. Everlube ® products are a form of dry film lubricant coating. Depending on the material application, there are a range of different products that can be utilised to resist oxidation and wear. Find out more about Everlube ® coatings by visiting our material coatings page.
CWST IMR test labs provide mechanical testing and material analysis services. IMR operate to a very high standard and their independent material analysis services are utilised by a broad range of markets including oil and gas, aerospace, power generation and medical, among others.
IMR provides a comprehensive range of mechanical, chemical and metallurgical testing services that ensure design and manufacturing integrity for our customers.
CWST’S IMR test labs services include:
Material composition is critical to a material’s machinability, durability and stability in its intended use. As products have diversified, we’ve seen a huge increase in new alloys, coatings, polymers and emerging materials including fibre-reinforced composites and ceramics.
Our team of chemists, engineers and lab personnel are adept at analytical techniques such as chromatography, qualitative analysis, gravimetric analysis, quantitative chemical analysis and many other organic chemical tests.
Metallurgical analysis reveals the condition and makeup of your materials with macro, micro and SEM examinations. These analyses reveal microstructure, processes performed on the material during manufacture and whether to meet the required specification(s) to ensure durability in the intended use.
Unless your sample is prepared with skill, accurate analysis of the base metal or ally may not be possible or lead to imprecise results. Our dedicated team of engineers and PhD’s lab technicians utilise state-of-the-art equipment, advanced polishing techniques, and decades of experience.
Non-metallic materials, durable and lightweight engineered materials are present in nearly everything around us and are gaining ground because of the wide range of beneficial properties that they offer. Specifically engineered for flame resistance, flexibility and durability, non-metallics can be designed to meet any number of specific application requirements.
IMR Test labs provides analyses on new materials, supports your R&D efforts, provides production control testing, and conducts comparative analyses between raw materials and suppliers.
Corrosion costs industry and manufacturing billions of dollars annually. Choosing the right raw materials and coatings, and understanding your in-service conditions can save you costly repairs, failures and recalls.
The IMR corrosion testing lab helps you to estimate component service life, compare candidate materials in your service environment and helps screen your materials and their condition. Weather testing also provides quality control by making sure that your application processes, such as coatings, anodising and electroplating are being performed to specification.
When parts or equipment fail, you need accurate answers quickly to get solutions in place. Every day you wait for answers, it costs you money and potentially your company’s valuable reputation.
IMR Test Labs should be your first call for your next root cause failure analysis. We are experienced and fast. Our team is well trained and highly accurate to be able to tackle your failure analysis needs from simple fractures to complex litigation cases.
To find out more about IMR Test Labs, visit the website or find out more about the service that IMR Test Labs provides by getting in touch with a member of our professional, friendly team.
Dry-film lubricants are materials that are used to reduce the friction between two mating surfaces that slide against each other without the need for oils and greases.
Typically, dry-film lubricants will be used when other lubricants such as grease and oil cannot be used due to temperature load, wear, migration and debris. In these conditions, traditional lubricants like oil or grease can undergo a state change and no longer provide protection, however, a dry-film lubricant will remain intact and provide continuous lubrication and protection.
Primarily, there are two main types of dry-film lubricants, which are known as crystalline lattice (lamella) type structures such as Molybdenum Disulphide, Tungsten Disulphide and Graphite and Fluorocarbons such as PTFE.
In crystalline form structures such as Molybdenum (MoS2), the shear forces between opposing layers are weak resulting in lubricity between sliding surfaces.
There are several factors for PTFE coatings that define dry-film lubricants; firstly, the ability to resist attack from another chemical structure, secondly its bond strength, and lastly its ability to repeal other atoms which in combination gives PTFE coatings their ultra-low coefficient of friction and excellent chemical resistance.
There is a wide variety of typical applications of dry-film coatings, some of which include:
Dry-film lubricants are useful in conditions where conventional lubricants are inadequate.
One such example is where reciprocating motion is present. A standard application of dry-film lubricant could include where a sliding or reciprocating motion that requires lubrication to minimise wear is present. An example of this use case can be seen in gear and change lubrication. Liquid lubricants will squeeze out while solid lubricants will not escape interlocking or reciprocating parts.
Dry-film lubricants can also be used in ceramic applications for cases where chemically active lubricant additives have not been found for a particular surface, such as polymers or ceramics.
Also, the benefits of dry-film lubricants can be applied to instances where lubrication is required in a high-temperature environment or where there is an oxidising atmosphere. Liquid lubricants such as oil and grease will typically not survive these conditions.
Furthermore, where extreme contact pressures are present, dry-film lubricant provides a high bearing-load combined with a low shear stress due to the lamellar structure of the lubricant.
Dry-film lubricants can be applied in a wide variety of methods to best suit the work-piece application and environment.
CWST has a proud history that dates back to 1920 when the Wright Brothers and Glen Curtiss founded the Curtiss-Wright Corporation. To find out more about Curtiss-Wright and the wide range of material finishing and treatment solutions click here or if you’d like to find out more about dry-film lubricants, visit our page about Everlube® coatings, or get in touch with a member of our team.
Thermal spray coatings are typically used in the aerospace, automotive, power generation and oil and gas industries. Curtiss-Wright offers a wide variety of coatings including HVOF (High Velocity Oxygen Fuel), plasma, flame and arc spray coatings. The range of thermal spray coatings offered by CWST means that it’s possible to achieve a cost effective and high performing finish that protects metal components from heat, wear, corrosion, fatigue and oxidation. HVOF coatings are a viable alternative for hard chrome plating.
Our thermal coatings can repair damaged and worn components- such as gas and steam turbines- to original specification.
HVOF
High velocity oxy fuel thermal coating is a process that propels semi-molten powders at supersonic velocity onto the substrate. The semi-molten powder then cools and solidifies in a fraction of a second to form a strong mechanical bond with the surface of the component. HVOF coatings tend to be extremely dense with low porosity, good thickness control and strong bond strength.
Plasma
The plasma coating process involves spraying molten or semi-molten powders onto the surface of a component to provide a coating. The selected coating is injected in powder form into a high temperature plasma flame, where it is rapidly heated and propelled against the component surface using a carrier gas. Plasma sprayed coatings typically utilise higher temperatures and lower velocities (compared to HVOF) allowing a larger variety of coatings including ceramics to be applied.
The component surface is usually roughed by grit blasting to provide a key for the coating. The hot material impacts on the roughened substrate where it cools rapidly shrinking against the roughened peaks of the surface forming a strong bond and foundation for the final coating. When this plasma spray coating process is carried out correctly is known as a “cold process” as the substrate temperature can be kept low during the process to avoid material damage.
Flame
Flame spray coating is widely considered the original method of thermal spraying and has been commonly used across a wide range of industries for over 100 years. The flame spraying process utilises an oxy-acetylene flame to apply the thermal coating. The heat from the flame melts the chosen coating material and compressed air propels it onto the product that is being coated. The flame spraying process is also another form of “cold process” due to the relatively low working temperature during the process.
Arc spray coating
The arc spray coating process provided by CWST is not only a cost effective and efficient service, but also a fast one. This type of thermal spray coating uses a twin wire feedstock that uses an electric arc to melt the feedstock and compressed air to propel the molten particles against the substrate. Arc wire coatings provide strong bond strength, low substrate temperatures and high coverage rates making them very suitable for large areas. There are many coating applications for this process (wear resistance, corrosion resistance, component repair and anti-fretting). This system also has the advantage of being portable and it can be used for on-site applications.
Versatility in choice of performance enhancing coatings
Almost any material that melts and re-solidifies when cool can be applied as a thermal spray coating (pure metals, alloys, ceramics and carbides are amongst the most common).
Component protection
Coatings can be selected to:-
Increase temperature tolerance (thermal barrier coatings – TBCs)
Increase temperature conduction
Increase resistance to wear (Hard face Coatings)
Increase electrical conduction
Increase electrical insulation
Increase corrosion resistance
Increase chemical resistance
Increase resistance to fretting
Provide accurate clearance control (abradable coatings)
Metallisation of polymers and composites
Accurately controlled temperature of bulk substrate to 150°C or less
CWST has the ability to accurately control the temperature of the substrate during the coating process. -This prevents any change in the properties of the substrate and allows coating of low melting point polymers or composite materials.
Coating thickness is easily controlled
Matching optimum coating selection with robotic application the coating thicknesses can be accurately controlled to ensure that the optimum depositions are achieved.
Complex shapes can be coated
Even components with complex shaped surfaces can be coated effectively using robotically manipulated application of the thermal spray coating.
Excellent Coating Properties
The final coating is optimised using data from the lab; hot and cold mount of coating samples, micro-graph image analysis, tensile bond testing, hardness checking, surface finish checking, thickness and evenness checking.
Pre and Post Processing
CWST can offer pre-thermal spray services such as shot peening to manage residual stresses and improve fatigue life as well as post-thermal spray services such as liquid coatings, grinding, polishing and impregnation both internally and through a trusted network of processing partners.
To find out more about Curtis Wright or the thermal spray coating services provided by CWST get in touch with a member of our skilled team today.
We are exhibiting at the Aerospace Wales in Broughton North Wales on Thursday 5th December.
Controlled shot peening is a cold work process that is used to change the properties of metals and alloys by developing a layer of compressive stress in the surface of components. The process of controlled shot peening helps to reduce and prevent fatigue and stress corrosion failures and prolong product life.
Small spherical balls (known as media) are fired at the surface of a component. This process helps to reduce component failure as result of residual tensile stress induced during manufacturing. Furthermore, some residual tensile stress could be induced during operating conditions and the process of controlled shot peening can help to reduce or remove this.
The process of controlled shot peening involves the use of spherical media known as shot. As each piece of shot strikes the surface of a material it creates a small indentation where the surface will attempt to yield. Substrate material will restrain the surface under compression during this process- removing tensile stresses.
At CWST, computer controlled robotic machinery is used during controlled shot peening to maximise precision and quality. Each application of controlled shot peening has its own unique requirements such as geometry, manufacturing method, base material, strain sensitivity, in-service environment and loading conditions. Further considerations such as cost and turnaround time will also be considered for each application.
The Shot Peening Process is one of the most economical and effective methods of both increasing surface and subsurface residual compressive stresses and removing residual tensile stresses to increase the components life. Depending on the application of the component, different media may be used. Media range from metal, ceramic and glass and will each will be used for different material finishes and applications.
Common applications of controlled shot peening include; gear parts, camshafts, clutch springs, coil springs, connecting rods, crankshafts, gearwheels, leaf and suspension springs, rock drills and turbine blades.
The shot peening process is also sometimes used in aviation and automotive industries on components like engine blocks and cylinder heads.
Controlled shot peening is a highly cost-effective method of reducing residual tensile stress that may have been induced during manufacturing or the operating conditions of components. Furthermore, controlled shot peening helps to prevent failures due to; metal fatigue, corrosion fatigue, stress corrosion cracking, intergranular corrosion, fretting, falling, spalling and wear.
Curtiss-Wright specialise in surface technologies and offer customer a single source solution and point of contact for all their controlled metal surface treatments, supporting their requirements through a global network of over 70 worldwide and on-site field teams.
To find out more about shot peening get in touch or visit: https://www.cwst.co.uk/services/controlled-shot-peening/
CWST are exhibiting at Advance Engineering on the 30th and 31st October at the NEC in Birmingham
Around the start of the 1990s, the use of laser peening had become increasingly popular with manufactures of products and components that were vulnerable to surface and foreign object damage.
Since this time, laser peening (or LSP) technology has seen developments that have resulted in decreased costs as well as increased throughput.
Laser Peening is a surface engineering process that places deep residual compressive stress into key areas of a component. This process increases the resistance of materials to surface-related failures.
Laser peening can also be used to strengthen thin sections of a component or harden a surface as well breaking up hard materials.
The laser peen or laser shock peening process does not utilise the thermal effects of a laser, instead it uses the dynamic mechanical effects of a shockwave that is imparted by a laser to modify the surface layer of a target material.
Laser peening is being used to prolong the fatigue life of critical aerospace components such as turbine engines and aircraft structures as well as for wing skins to achieve the requirements of the new generation of intercontinental aircraft.
Other potential applications of LSP forming have also emerged for the automotive, power generation, nuclear waste disposal, drilling, medical implants and recreational sports.
The process of laser peening means that component materials have a deeper residual compressive stress which enables an increased resistance to low cycle, high stress situations (LCF) as well as high cycle, low stress situations (HCF) in a deteriorating surface environment. LSP also helps to combat material erosion, strike damage, fretting and corrosion.
In addition, the laser peen process allows for less cold work enabling greater retention of residual compressive stress in high load and/ or thermally challenging conditions.
What’s more, there is no process contamination and original surface finish and topography is easily maintained and controlled through a high precision process and quality control.
Curtiss-Wright specialise in surface technologies and offer customer a single source solution and point of contact for all their controlled metal surface treatments, supporting their requirements through a global network of over 70 worldwide and on-site field teams.
Find out more information about our laser peening services here, or get in touch today to discuss your requirements!
It is no secret that engineered coatings have many benefits to components, including improving appearance, adhesion, corrosion resistance, hardness and much more. However, in short, the biggest benefit of engineered coating is that it extends the component lifetime.
At Curtiss-Wright, we work with a number of industries including aerospace, oil and gas, automotive, medical and general industrial markets, so ensuring components have their fullest life span is very important.
Our range of engineered coatings protect against adverse environmental and service conditions, preventing friction, improving lubrication and reducing noise.
Our range of industrial engineered coatings include:
• Thermal spray – providing thermal management, corrosion and erosion, component protection and repair of turbine components (including high velocity oxy fuel, flame spray, arc and diffusion.
• Solid film lubricant and liquid component coatings – long lasting lubrication in harsh operating conditions and to prevent friction and galling (including Everlube, PTFE, zine rich, impingement, Teflon, Primers and more)
• Parylene conformal coatings – biocompatible, ultra thin coating used to reduce friction and protect components from the environment, commonly used for medical devices and electronic applications (including Parylene C and Parylene N)
The way our engineered coatings work is simply by fortifying the surface of metals and other substrates – transforming your inexpensive components and parts into super hard, dry lubricated and chemical resistant components. This in turn ensures your components last longer, and is more cost effective than buying expensive components. It is also more environmentally friendly to reuse old materials and components.
As said before, the goal of engineered coatings is to enhance the surfaces of components, imparting performance attributes such as corrosion resistance, hardness and dry lubrication. Surface-enhancing coatings are used to transform inexpensive metal parts into chemical resistant, super hard, dry-lubricated components that last longer and perform better than parts made of expensive and rare metals. Engineered to withstand the harshest of environments.
Coatings are applied to components using an orderly process that begins with a thorough cleaning. Next, applying a coating layer using conversion, deposition, thermal spray or a mix of these techniques enhances the surface. The process continues with a controlled infusion of engineered polymers or other dry-lubricating particles or metals.
The biggest advantage of engineered coatings compared to other options, such as paint-on varieties or black oxide, is that the particles in the engineered coatings become part of the surface. Particles are mechanically bonded and the resulting surface layer cannot chip, flake, peel or rub off. A variety of engineered coating systems are available, each designed and tested to protect a certain metal or to solve a common problem.
Contact the team at CWST to explore our range of Metal Surface Finishing Treatment Processes, we will help you discover which of our specialist treatment is right for your components.
Taking it back to basics, at CWST we are experts in metal surface finishing treatment processes. But what does this really mean, and what are the different metal surface treatments we provide?
Simply, that we have vast knowledge in a range of industrial processes that alter the surface of metal to achieve a certain property, for example, to improve appearance, adhesion, corrosion resistance, hardness and much more. Our metal surface treatments can be categorised by how they affect the subject, either removing/reshaping the finishing, or adding/altering the finishing.
At CWST we offer a wide variety of key metal surface treatments, finishes and processes. Each surface finishing process increases performance and life of metal components by protecting against premature failure, due to fatigue, corrosion, stress, fretting, friction and galling, as well as support against environmental and thermal variation.
Our high-performance metal surface finishing treatments include the following.
Tensile stresses induced during welding, grinding, machining and heat treatment are replaced with beneficial compressive stresses proven to prevent fatigue and stress corrosion cracking.
This cold working process is applied using spherical media known as ‘shot’, as each piece hits the surface it creates an indentation where the surface will attempt to yield but is restrained by the substrate material. This in turn causes the material to compress, creating added stress – making the surface crack resistant and removes any prior manufacturing tensile stress.
Find out more about Controlled Shot Peening.
This surface treatment creates curvature in aircraft wing skins to enhance lift and efficiency and to protect against fatigue. Shot peen forming is also used to correct the distortion of components following manufacturing.
Within this process, control spherical media is fired at the surface, creating indentations causing the material to elastically stretch, however it is restrained by the substrate. This causes the surface to arc towards the peened side, resulting in curvature. This metal surface treatment method can induce stress to greater depths, with a tighter radius of curvature as well as being able to be performed on thicker materials.
Find out more about Shot Peen Forming.
Laser peening induces compressive stress with precision accuracy into key areas of a component up to 5 to 10 times deeper than other conventional cold working techniques.
This metal surface treatment uses an output beam at 25 joules at 18 nanoseconds from a glass laser, a thin stream of water is made to flow across the surface and the laser transparently passes through the water, and a pulse is absorbed on the metal surface. The rise in pressure creates a shock wave that penetrates into the metal, straining the surface layer.
Find out more about Laser Peening.
Removes surface asperities to create a mirror like finish, reducing macro and micro-pitting, oil temperature and noise whilst promoting lubricant retention.
This surface treatment uses controlled shot peening, followed by chemical surface superfinishing. This removes any metal asperities, creating a surface with a negative skew (Rsk) retaining valleys for optimum oil retention, reducing surface friction and operating temperatures.
Find out more about C.A.S.E Isotropic Superfinishing.
Wear resistant and barrier thermal spray coatings such as HVOF, arc and flame spray, protecting against high temperatures, wear, corrosion and oxidation, as well as restoring parts to their original dimensions.
This coating process uses a heated powder or feedstock which is propelled at high velocity, using kinetic energy formed from a gas stream, onto the surface. This forms a mechanical bond with the substrate as it cools – building up thickness and density.
Find out more about Thermal Spray Coatings.
Alongside our metal surface treatment, using the correct coating system and dry film lubricants will also extend the life of critical components by reducing, friction, wear galling, fretting, corrosion, and environmental damage providing a reduction in maintenance and service costs.
This unique process produces a ceramic layer on surface of light alloys such as Titanium, Magnesium and aluminium. The resulting surface is extremely hard, corrosion and wear resistant and provides extensive weight saving performance benefits to light alloy components.
Find out more about Keronite PEO Keronite | Advanced Surface Treatments for Light Alloys
Our range of industrial protective coatings includes:
Find out more about Engineered Performance Coating Services.
Parylene is a highly lubricious and ultra-thin conformal coating with outstanding chemical, moisture and electrical barrier protection for metals, elastomers, electronics and plastic.
This surface treatment process is applied by vapour deposition under a vacuum, in a coating chamber at ambient temperature. It involves exposing objects to a gas-phase monomer at low pressure, and through vacuum deposition the Parylene condenses and polymerises on the component’s surface – increasing the thickness.
Find out more about Parylene Conformal Coatings.
Surface treatments such as wet processing techniques improve atmospheric and chemical corrosive resistance and also enhance the application of paint primer and adhesives.
Find out more about Wet Treatments.
IMR Test Labs offer mechanical and metallurgical testing including material testing, failure analysis, chemical analysis and weld testing to ensure design and manufacturing integrity.
IMR’s comprehensive range of mechanical, chemical and metallurgical testing services ensure design and manufacturing integrity for our customers. These material testing services range from the verification of raw materials through to in depth failure analysis.
Find out more about our IMR Testing Services.
Specialist teams can be mobilised worldwide to repair large or fixed equipment, reducing shipping costs and downtime to the same specification as in-house processing.
Our onsite services include spraying, surface treatments, component repair and a range of overhaul services. Due to the processing of plant equipment which cannot be moved due to size and fixed installations.
Find out more about our Onsite Services.
PEENTEX protects internal and external cladding, street furniture and signage. Creates a decorative finish for architectural purposes on metal, glass, wood and acrylic. Non-slip textured finish for tooling and equipment.
We are able to accurately control and repeat the peening process to produce a range of different textures and engineered surface treatments and finishes creating highly decorative designs and finishes. It is often practical for users for high traffic areas as the finish diffuses direct light and glare, disguising fingerprints and mild blemishes.
Find out more about Peentex Architectural Finishes.
PEENFLEX damage and abrasion resistant mouldings protect parts through the various stages of processing, lifting, moving, storage and despatch. Uniquely made for each application.
All our protective mouldings and maskings are rigorously tested to ensure a high quality of wear resistance enabling them to be recycled many times through the handling stages and presenting a cost effective solution to damage prevention.
Find out more about our Protective Moulding and Masking.
Contact the team at CWST to explore our range of Metal Surface Finishing Treatment Processes, we will help you discover which of our specialist treatment is right for your components.
Curtiss-Wright Surface Technologies will be exhibiting at the Advance Engineering Show in Birmingham on the 30th – 31st October 2019. Come along and meet the team!
Curtiss-Wright Surface Technologies will be exhibiting at the MedTech Ireland Show in Galway on the 25th – 26th September 2019. Come along and meet the team!
Curtiss-Wright Surface Technologies will be exhibiting at the Engineering Live Show in Solihull on 19th September 2019. Come along and meet the team!
CWST will be exhibiting at “New Challenges in Tribology” at the IET Birmingham: Austin Court on the 27th and 28th March.
Tribology is the study of friction, wear, lubrication, and the design of bearings; the science of interacting surfaces in relative motion.
This two-day event will address the current challenges in Tribology, along with the developments of materials, corrosion and surface coatings.
This event will bring together leading members from the community to hear key information from our invited speakers.
Alongside this there is an opportunity to view the posters entered into the competition and an opportunity to interact with the exhibitors on show.
Curtiss-Wright Surface Technologies will be exhibiting at the Advance Engineering show in Birmingham on the 31st October and 1st November. Please pop along and say Hello, we are located at stand N65.
Curtiss-Wright Surface Technologies will be exhibiting at the Surfex show in Coventry on 23rd – 24th May 2018. Please pop along to stand number 608 and say Hello
Curtiss-Wright Surface Technologies will be exhibiting at the Engineering Materials Live show in Birmingham on Thursday 10th May 2018. Please pop along and say Hello
Curtiss-Wright Surface Technologies will be exhibiting at the Advance Engineering show in Birmingham on 1st and 2nd November. Please pop along and say Hello, we are located at stand L83.
Curtiss-Wright Surface Technologies will be exhibiting at the Engineering Materials Live in Duxford on 21st September. Please pop along and say Hello, we are located at stand 48
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