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GT DEFINES OPTIMUM DYNAMIC SURFACE FINISH FOR HVOF COATED SURFACES
04 August 2004 - Greene Tweed & Co Benelux BV
| Critical needs drive important and innovative research. Organizations involved in the aerospace industry have been searching for a replacement to the traditional chrome coating process used in dynamic aircraft systems. |
The traditional process produces carcinogenic hexavalent chrome molecules; therefore, alternative coating processes have been evaluated to replace hard chrome. These coatings, known as high velocity oxygen fueled, deliver superior wear, fatigue and impact resistance over chrome, while reducing environmental and health risks typically associated with hard chrome plating. The use of HVOF coatings in dynamic applications has required an evaluation of the surfaces with respect to their interaction with seals and bearings. Traditional hard chrome surfaces tend to polish over time by the motion of seals and bearings traveling over the surface. HVOF surfaces, however, do not polish and remain in their original condition over many years and dynamic cycles in service. Therefore, having an improper HVOF surface finish design can lead to negative system performance throughout the life of the system. As a result of extensive testing, Greene, Tweed, partnering with many prominent aerospace organizations and the bi-national HCAT (hard chrome alternative team), has identified several surface finish parameters that are critical to successful utilization of HVOF surfaces with seals and bearings. "Through our engineering expertise and research we have developed vital information about the performance of seals and bearings for use in dynamic systems that utilize HVOF coatings. By defining the critical surface finish parameters of HVOF coatings needed to promote long life and efficient performance of dynamic seals we are able to provide value to our partners and the industry," noted John Mergenthaler, vice president and general manager of Greene, Tweed's aerospace business.
http://www.gtweed.com
About: Greene Tweed & Co Benelux BV
Greene, Tweed specialises in the development, manufacture and supply of rings, seals and profiles for industrial applications in which extremely high specifications are set for the material; brand names include Chemraz, WR and AR. An early product in the portfolio, the G-T Ring, was introduced and approved for use in the landing gear of the F-4 Phantom in 1964. The G-T Ring remains a core product in Aerospace landing gear today. As the business developed, strategy warranted the establishment of corporate headquarters in Kulpsville, Pa., USA. in the 1970s. With this foothold, the company expanded around the globe. In the early 1980s it introduced several versatile elastomers, such as Fluoraz, and designed pioneering product geometries, such as the first "capped seal." Arlon, a tough, high-temperature, semi-crystalline engineering polymer, also joined the product line, followed shortly by one of Greene, Tweed's most innovative products, Chemraz, a chemical-resistant elastomer, effective in the most extreme temperatures. Recognizing the race toward a global economy, Greene, Tweed began geographic expansion by opening offices in Germany, England and France. By the mid 1980s, Greene, Tweed had established a presence in the Pacific with a Japanese office. The Asian market has maintained its pattern of growth with additional offices today in Singapore and Korea. The turn of the century ushered in a new product, Orthtek, a lightweight, thermoplastic composite with high-strength and radiolucent properties, that satisfies the demands of the Medical and Biotechnology industry. Worldwide expansion has continued with new offices in the Netherlands, Italy and Spain. A tradition of creative and innovative ideas has also grown with the development of new products, from new composite technologies and vision systems to fibre optic connectors and extreme electrical connectors. Greene Tweed’s WR and AR product ranges are distributed by Flowserve all over Europe. In Belgium the Greene Tweed & Co products are also distributed by Humitab BVBA in St.Job in ‘t Goor.
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• For August 2004
• From Greene Tweed & Co Benelux BV
• For Thermoplastic Composites
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