Aug 30 2009
Stork Cellramic is pleased to announce the completion of its new High Velocity Oxygen Fuel (HVOF) thermal spray chamber. The oversized workspace (15 feet by 28 feet) was designed to accommodate a robotically-operated thermal spray application and handling system for parts and products up to twenty feet in length and 15,000 pounds. The chamber replaces two smaller spray booths in the Stork Cellramic facility in north Milwaukee.
New HVOF chamber ready for operation for thermal spraying of oversized parts and products.
Stork Cellramic experts apply HVOF thermally sprayed coatings to parts to help protect them against high temperature, wear and corrosion and for hard chrome replacement applications. Examples of parts that benefit from HVOF coatings includes gas turbine hot-section components such as burner cans, baskets, nozzles, cross-flame tubes, spring clips, blades and vanes. Multi-axis robots, turntables and other automated systems for coating application allows reproducibility and precise control of coating thickness and quality. Oversized parts, which require the dimensions of the new booth, are usually used by industries such as printing, paper, packaging, hydraulics and cylinder, die and shaft manufacturers.
General Manager Daniel Ruiter said, "Our team is very satisfied with the new installation and processes. The HVOF spray booth and its robot and turning cart is impressive to watch and will take care of our customers' most outsized parts and products. This is not our first robotic coating booth and not our only HVOF system, but it is our largest--and it is among the largest industrially available applicators in the Midwest.
"In addition to the new chamber, we have also made modifications to our grit blast enclosure in order to improve surface preparation, and we are in the final stages of achieving ISO certification, which should be granted to us in early October. We had a very successful audit with ISO and we look forward to providing this quality approval to our customers who require it."
The HVOF chamber is fully operational and available to customers effective August 24. For more information, please contact [email protected].