Hydraulic cylinder rods are well-known in many industries as an effective method to move large, heavy loads. Critical to efficient actuation of the hydraulic cylinder rod is the surface finish of the piston rod, where consistently very low roughness and minimal to no waviness are musts.
Metco Joining & Cladding has developed several unique conventional Laser and High Speed (EHLA) Laser cladding alloys designed to provide significantly better performance than legacy products. These products were designed for Marine and Non-marine applications, to provide higher abrasion resistance, longer wear life and easy reproducibility.
Metco 1020x family of products are proprietary ferritic stainless steel powders with a composition similar to a 400 series stainless steel. They have been optimized for higher wear resistance, while maintaining a similar level of corrosion resistance to a type 431 stainless steel. The Metco 1020x family was designed for laser cladding processes to produce an overlay that combines good wear and corrosion resistance, especially where a crack-free coating is necessary. It is recommended for applications where the corrosion resistance of a type 431 stainless steel is sufficient, but better wear resistance is required.
The stable ferritic structure of the Metco 1020x series is less susceptible to performance variations that could result from varied processing conditions and cooling rates than typical martensitic steels. While the ferrite structure of Metco 1020x deposits does yield lower hardness than martensitic steels, the wear resistance is actually higher than martensitic steels resulting from the formation of hard precipitates during the cladding process. These materials can be clad in multiple layers crack-free, allowing for the overlay to be utilized for rebuild or salvage of undersized parts. The overlay can be ground to a very good finish using silicon carbide wheel.
Although the hardness of overlays produced using the Metco 1020x family of products are generally significantly lower than that of 400-series stainless steels, the abrasion resistance is far better per ASTM G65A volume loss testing. In addition, the abrasion resistance compared to a popular competitor for this applications indicate that overlays of the Metco 1020x family of products provides significantly better performance per ASTM G65E volume loss testing.
Abrasion Resistance Improvement
It is the rule of the economy — and a challenge for OEMs and MROs (Maintenance and Repair Operations) companies in the mining business: Hard chromium plating costs increase as global demand increases and supply decreases. The industry requires new application techniques, processes, and materials to protect, at reasonable cost, hydraulic cylinders from:
Metco 1720x family of products are proprietary nickel-based, superalloy hardfacing powders. Overlays of Metco 1720x materials have been optimized to have corrosion resistance similar to that of Inconel 625 and Ultimet overlays, but with superior wear resistance. The Metco 1720x family was designed for laser cladding processes to produce an overlay that combines good wear and corrosion resistance, especially where a crack-free coating is necessary.
It is recommended for applications where the corrosion resistance of an Inconel 625 or Ultimet overlay is sufficient, but better abrasion resistance is required. The key to this design is the precipitation of isolated hard phases in a nickel-based, corrosion resistant matrix. The introduction of the hard phases increases abrasion resistance, but as the hard phases form an isolated morphology, they are not detrimental to the crack-resistance of the overlay. These materials can be clad in multiple layers crack-free, allowing for the overlay to be utilized for rebuild or salvage of undersized parts. The overlay can be ground to a very good finish using silicon carbide wheels.
While Metco 1720x materials provide excellent as-welded hardness and abrasion resistance, some customers have found that taking the additional step to roller-harden the overlays provides even higher hardness and abrasion resistance, which results in further life and performance.
Abrasion Resistance
As indicated through ASTM G65-A volume loss testing the abrasion resistance of overlays of Metco 1720x materials are far better than overlays of Inconel 625 or Ultimet, which are commonly used to protect hydraulic rods in marine and non-marine applications where corrosion is a major issue.
Typical Uses and Applications
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