Search Results for process valve

Development of wear-resistant hardfacing materials using powder metallurgy/hot isostatic pressing technology offers an alternative to today's cobalt-based materials and those that suffer delamination damage. Ongoing research and development at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), detailed in this article, examines the application of wear-resistant hardfacing materials using the PM/HIP process. The hope is to eliminate weldability and residual stress challenges associated with some hardfacing alloys, as well as to provide a wider range of potential alloy solutions to reduce cobalt use and to address delamination issues with incumbent materials.

Ultra-short femtosecond laser technology offers sub-400 fs pulses, high beam quality, and peak power that enables a high quality, cold ablation cutting process rather than a melt ejection process. Resulting cuts require minimal post processing and the small beam size allows machining of very fine details. The edge quality possible with a femtosecond laser for both metals and plastics makes it useful for machining heart, brain, and eye stents (both nitinol and cobalt-chrome), catheters, heart valves, and polymer tubing.

Laboratory tests conducted on shape memory alloy valve actuators show them to be a viable green alternative for oil and gas applications.

A powder metallurgy and hot isostatic pressing technology offers a new way to manufacture high pressure-retaining components for use in the power-generation industry.

Variable valve timing (VVT) plates are part of a system designed to optimize engine performance by changing the lift, duration, and timing of valve lift events. This article reviews a case study involving cracking of AISI 1045 steel VVT plates after heat treating.

Computer simulation is an important tool for medical device companies and designers to reduce expensive prototyping and testing. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Device and Radiological Health (CRY) is seeing a growing number of submissions for medical devices that include a simulation-data component.

The use of coatings to enhance the performance of components is one of the most powerful tools in materials engineering. This article highlights some examples of how thermal spray technologies are used to enhance surface properties for selected applications and industries.

3D laser microscopy is opening new areas of study for metallic alloys and coatings in power generation applications. This article describes some case studies where laser microscopy has augmented, and in some cases replaced, metallic alloy characterization using optical microscopy or scanning electron microscopy.

George Pfaffmann was highly regarded as a true leader and innovator in induction heating technology.

Precise controls are at the heart of today’s flame hardening processes and design, delivering consistent, measured, and accurate heat treatments.

Linear friction welding (LFW) is a solid-state process capable of joining noncircular parts by oscillating one part under load to create frictional heating. From joining railroad rails to producing strong aluminum-to-steel joints, recent advancements in LFW technology are reducing equipment costs and expanding potential uses.

Advanced materials engineering is being used to solve component life cycle improvement challenges in extremely harsh working conditions. This article discusses examples from various industries where new materials and surface modifications are used to extend the useful life of engineering components and equipment.

Using thermal spray to coat the interiors of pipes and tubes used in heavy duty applications enhances mechanical properties and extends component lifetimes. This article describes results from a trials to optimize coating properties produced with new hardware designed to coat pipe interiors with diameters down to less than 5 inches, which has traditionally been a challenge for the production of high quality coatings.

Cobalt alloys are widely used to meet the demanding performance requirements of diesal and natural gas engine valvetrain applications. Alloy J513 alloy was developed to lower costs and provide higher performance while also requiring substantially less cobalt usage.

This article, the first in a two-part series, explains how powder metallurgy presents a cost-effective alternative to conventional titanium fabrication processes. It reviews the characteristics of different types of titanium powders and compares and contrasts near-net shape (NNS) production techniques, including conventional press-and-sinter, cold isostatic pressing (CIP), hot isostatic pressing (HIP), CIP-sinter, and CIP-sinter-HIP (CHIP). Other titanium production methods are covered in Part 2, which is scheduled for the October 2012 issue of AM&P .

Although computer modeling of friction phenomena continues to improve, bench-scale and subscale tribotesting remain important in selecting materials, surface treatments, and lubricants for automotive applications.

Residual gas analysis shows that vacuum furnaces with graphite hot zones are more economical than all-metal designs and are capable of producing contamination-free surfaces.

From wartime use to cutlery and building facades, the stainless steel industry began to experience dynamic growth from the 1920s on, especially following World War II.

Among the structural materials developed in the 20th century, titanium and its alloys have played a leading role in improving component performance. This article discusses development of new production techniques, specifications, economic aspects, and applications that have enabled the current applications of titanium alloys.

Annealing and normalizing both involve heating metal to a temperature and cooling back to room temperature and are differentiated by the metals involved and rate of cooling. This article is an overview of annealing and normalizing processes.