Page 18 - MetalForming July 2017

Materials & Coatings
Process Deposits Ultra-Hard Coatings on Inside and Outside Part Surfaces
knowledge and experience will help us to be more efficient, and work more col- laboratively with our members to grow the A/SP in the years to come.”
Duralar Technologies, Tucson, AZ, developer of advanced, ultra-hard metal coatings and coating machines, has introduced the Duralar CS-50 deposition system, able to coat both the inside and outside surfaces of metal parts using a proprietary process called DualArmor.
Says Steve Gallagher, body structures technical specialist at Ford Motor Co. and chairman of A/SP’s Joint Policy Council: “John has been an active member in the A/SP for many years and his working knowledge of the organization, as well as his deep understanding of the auto- motive industry made him the right can- didate for the position. He has held lead- ership roles in several major automotive technology projects throughout his career and we look forward to John leading more advanced product and manufacturing technology projects as the partnership advances.”
“The CS-50 system features a tubular processing chamber that opens like a clamshell, allowing metal parts to be placed inside for coating,” says Duralar CTO Tom Casserly. “DualArmor coating employs a unique hollow cathode plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor deposition process to bathe the parts in an extremely intense plas- ma—roughly 1000 times greater than a standard CVD plasma. This enables parts to be coated at a high rate. Also, the chamber eliminates the line-of-sight limitations experienced with spray-type coatings. Since all deposition occurs within the dense plasma, all part surfaces receive a uniform coating, eliminating the need for post- processing rework."
New Galvanizing Line
The CS-50’s unprecedented deposition speed enables the use of thicker hard coatings than were previously technically possible or commercially feasible. Previously, conventional diamond-like carbon coatings had a practical total thickness limit of around 5 μm; Duralar DLC coatings can be 50 μm or more.
Steel producer Nucor Corp., Charlotte, NC, announced that it will build a hot- band galvanizing and picking line at its sheet-mill facility in Ghent, KY. The addition will increase the facility’s production capacity and allow Nucor to expand its offerings in the automotive industry. Once begun, the galvanizing line is expected to take two years to construct.
DualArmor coatings reportedly can provide 5 to 10 times the hardness of carbon steel and more than 10,000 times greater wear resistance than Type 304 stainless steel. The coatings feature high levels of corrosion and erosion resistance, and they are virtually frictionless, with a friction coefficient of less than 0.08.
Duralar: www.duralar.com
Free Steel-Spec- Translation Site
with Stats, Calculators and More
New Executive Director for Auto/Steel Partnership
Developed by a 50-plus-year steel- industry veteran, www.steelinsights.com is a portal of in-depth information on specifications, pricing, industry trends, news and data. The site works to provide knowledge and support for individuals and companies involved in the manufac- ture, distribution or consumption of steel products Upon free registration, users have access to steel-specification trans-
The Auto/Steel Partnership (A/SP), a 30-year collaboration of auto companies and steelmakers, announced that John K. Catterall, an automotive-engineering veteran in body-structure, chassis and closure applications, has been named executive director. Prior to joining the A/SP, Catterall held the position of global innovation manager for body systems at General Motors Co.
“With the resurgence in the automotive industry, I look forward to growing the A/SP and elevating its importance,” says Catterall. “I’ve spent nearly four decades running advanced development projects with General Motors and other organizations. My
16 MetalForming/July 2017
www.metalformingmagazine.com
The A/SP works to develop lightweight steel solutions to meet the current and future needs of automakers.
at Nucor’s KY Sheet Mill