Metallurgy Mastered in Our Worldclass Technology Center
Our team of materials engineers have a wealth of technologies at their disposal as they search for the totally new in their research and development efforts. These technologies allow us to delve deeper into the properties of all types of materials, and to make significant improvements in the alloys, coatings and processes available to our customers.
Most importantly, our materials engineers relish the opportunity to work side by side in partnership with their counterparts from the design and engineering departments of our customers. Our customers find that we have the perfect environment, and the willingness, to test theories, dive deeper into new materials and put prototypes through their paces.
Here are some of the ways we can assist you in your search for ways to make your products better:
Materials Processing
Developing and refining the many processes used to produce materials that perform better requires continuous testing and experimentation. For that, we have a complete array of technologies available, including:
- Trumpf Laser TruDisk 6003 – 6kW laser source for laser cladding, heat treating, welding, and cutting. Accompanied by five-axis CNC table and laser source
- Stellite Plasma-Transferred-Arc (PTA) System – Weld hardfacing operation to deposit thick wear-resistant coatings. Robotically controlled PTA torch or part manipulation
- Thermal Spray Cell – Includes flame spray, plasma arc spray, high velocity oxy-fuel, and electric-arc spray operations for a wide variety of applications including wear resistant, thermal barrier, electrical, corrosion resistant, etc.
- Microtrax X100 – Particle analyser to measure powder particle size
- Advanced GMAW + PTA Cell – ABB duel-robot multimove system for GMAW and PTA overlay processing
- Edgertronic High Speed Camera – Up to 5000 frames/second high speed imaging for material processing optimization
Materials Analysis - Microscopy Equipment:
A thorough analysis of the physical and chemical behavior of all types of materials allows us to make significant advances in alloys, coatings and processes. For that we use:
- Zeiss MA10 Scanning Electron Microscope w/ Thermo Scientific NORAN System 7 Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy – Used for high-magnification imaging and chemistry analysis
- Zeiss Stemi 2000C Stereo Microscope – Optical microscope used for low magnification, three-dimensional observation
- Zeiss AxioVert 40 Metallurgical Microscope – Optical microscope for high magnification microstructure observation
- Keyence VK 9700 Laser Scanning Microscope – Produces 3D topographical images for analysis and measurements
Material Analysis - Chemical Analysis Equipment:
Taking a closer look at the elemental composition of materials and coatings, and evaluating and refining the processes used to produce them, is an important step. Our materials engineers look deeper, with:
- Thermo Scientific ARL 9900 X-ray Fluorescence and X-ray Diffraction – Contains X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) spectrometers integrated with X-ray Diffraction (XRD) for chemistry measurement and crystallographic phase identification
- Leco GDS 850A Glow Discharge Spectrometer – Delivers highly accurate bulk chemistry analysis and quantitative depth profiling for coating and surface treatment analysis
- Leco TN400 Nitrogen Determinator – The preferred industry standard method for analyzing nitrogen
- Leco C230 Carbon Determinator – The preferred industry standard method for analyzing carbon
Mechanical & Tribology Testing Equipment:
Failure analysis, testing for fatigue, abrasion and erosion, are all critical to the optimization of new materials and processes. We apply these technology tools:
- Instron 9350 Drop Weight Impact Tester – Produces the time-history of applied force and deformation during drop-weight impact tests
- MTS 322 Universal Testing Machine – Delivers the time history of applied force and deformation, in addition to mechanical properties and customized fatigue testing
- Falex ASTM G76 Airjet Erosion Wear Tester – Produces data to rank materials by their solid-particle erosion resistance
- Falex ASTM G65 Dry Sand Rubber Wheel Abrasion Wear Tester – Produces data to rank materials by their abrasion resistance
- Falex ASTM G77 Two body wear tester – Produces data to ranking resistance of materials to sliding wear using block-on-ring wear test
- Clemex CMT Automated Microhardness Tester – Knoop and Vickers hardness with walk-away capability that virtually eliminates operator errors for the most consistent, accurate results
- Struers DuraJet Hardness Tester – Capable of testing with all Rockwell and Superficial Rockwell methods.
Sample Preparation Equipment:
Continuous testing and refinement of materials requires that we can quickly and efficiently produce samples for further research and development right up to the prototype and production stages. We utilize:
- Streamlined automatic sample preparation produces consistent metallurgical samples
These are just some of the resources you’ll discover when you schedule your first visit to the Fisher Barton Technology Center. Taking that first step has never been easier. To schedule a visit to meet our team and tour the Technology Center, contact us today.
