Page 14 - MetalForming June 2015

Materials & Coatings
New Tube Offerings Promise High Wear Resistance and Lighter Weight
cars, outdoor furniture, light poles, exterior electrical cabinets and hardware, trail- ers and shipping containers.
The new Hardox Tube 500 series from SSAB provides the same hardness and toughness as Hardox wear plate, but in cir- cular form. It was devel- oped to perform in any application where high wear resistance in com- bination with a lighter weight is desired.
Because the coatings dry quickly to a hard, durable finish, they are ideal for OEMs and part suppliers that have limit- ed or no baking capabilities. With no bak- ing required, use of these coatings can reduce energy costs, increase production throughput and yield lower labor costs.
SSAB, experienced
in developing wear-
resistant steel tubes,
sets the tube’s final
properties after tube
rolling and welding,
which guarantees consistency as well as high hardness and toughness, according to Fredrik Mikaelsson, manager for Tubes & Sections at SSAB.
Reported benefits of PerformaLoc coat- ings include superior color and gloss retention; resistance to chemicals, marring, salt spray and humidity; and exceptional performance in accelerated weather test- ing. They also provide an expanded recoat window that lasts from days to weeks without the need for significant prepara- tion or sanding, which can help improve process efficiency.
Hardox Tube 500 is suitable for transporting all types of abrasive materials, includ- ing wet concrete, soil, gravel and ore slurry, and its high wear resistance allows for a lighter product with a long service life. The tube is available from stock in 88.9- to 133-mm dia. and in varying wall thicknesses. Custom tubes in thinner materials and other diameters also are available.
SSAB: www.ssab.com
The coatings can be formulated in cus- tom colors and be paired with compatible PPG wet-on-wet epoxy or polyurethane primers to act as polyurethane coatings. They apply like conventional polyurethanes because of their low viscosity.
PPG Industries: www.ppgindustrialcoatings.com
Solar Atmospheres of California Earns Aerospace Supplier Approval for Heattreatment-Related Processes
Program Nests Multi-Customer Laser-Cut Blanks,
Parts to Cut Scrap Costs
Solar Atmospheres of California (SCA), Fontana, CA, has attained approved-suppli- er status from SAFRAN/SNECMA, a French multinational aircraft and rocket engine man- ufacturer. SCA has received approval for the heattreatment processes of stress reliev- ing, solution heattreatment, normalizing, subzero and homogenization annealing, as well as for aging, stabilization and austenitizing quenching for steel, nickel-based alloys and cobalt-based alloys.
United Performance Metals, Hamilton, OH, has introduced Global Nest, an enhanced, multi-part, multi-customer laser nesting program. Administered through UPM, Global Nest maximizes material usage for laser-cut blanks and parts by matching up multiple parts and orders to achieve the greatest yield with the least amount of scrap, according to company offi- cials, resulting in lower job costs and an improved path to just-in-time production. Customers who participate in the Global Nest program have their blank/part orders matched up with orders from other cus- tomers to maximize nesting, thereby low- ering costs for scrap paid by each customer. United Performance Metals: www.upmet.com
Only a limited number of companies in the United States have earned the SAFRAN/SNECMA-approved supplier status, according to SCA officials.
Solar Atmospheres of California: www.solaratm.com
New High-Solids Coating Can Eliminate Need for Baking, Force-Drying of Parts
PerformaLoc coatings from PPG Industries, Pittsburgh, PA., feature a proprietary com- bination of low-VOC resins that reportedly cure fast and hard, eliminating the need for baking or force-drying of metal parts.
PerformaLoc coatings are designed for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) that coat metallic parts such as those used in agricultural equipment, locomotives and rail
12 MetalForming/June 2015
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