Industrial news

Citation

(2015), "Industrial news", Anti-Corrosion Methods and Materials, Vol. 62 No. 6. https://doi.org/10.1108/ACMM.12862faa.003

Industrial news

Article Type: Industrial news From: Anti-Corrosion Methods and Materials, Volume 62, Issue 06

Intertek to present corrosion monitoring methods used on iconic infrastructure projects

Intertek presented and discussed the innovative structural health monitoring system developed by its instrumentation team and utilised on several key public transport systems across Europe.

The technology and accompanying software that the team showcased at the 7th International Conference on Structural Health Monitoring of Intelligent Infrastructure (SHMII) is in the process of being deployed by Intertek for the Copenhagen Metro System and Istanbul’s Eurasia Tunnel.

It comprises a pre-determined number of probes embedded into the concrete structures and an associated instrumentation system. These elements form part of an overall structural health monitoring system that enables clients to access valuable data which can be used to inform life extension and prediction models.

Based on the outskirts of Oxford, UK, the team, which forms part of Intertek Production and Integrity Assurance, has seen demand for its niche expertise rise in recent years due to an increased emphasis on structural safety, public safety and materials management in both the public and private transport and structural engineering sectors.

Manager for Instrumentation at Intertek Production and Integrity Assurance, Tom Gooderham, addressed SHMII attendees during a session on 2nd July. Presenting a paper on the use of corrosion and stray current monitoring techniques for the Cityringen metro project in Copenhagen, Mr Gooderham highlighted Intertek’s recent expertise and progression on structural health monitoring issues:

Our team has worked on a number of high-profile and iconic projects over the last two years and we hope this will continue, said Tom Gooderham. Working alongside our clients on significant infrastructure such as the Copenhagen Metro, Eurasia Tunnel and the replacement Forth Road Bridge crossing provides us with the opportunity to develop innovative, reliable products while contributing to the safety and integrity of some of Europe’s most notable transportation systems.

It is an honour to present at the 7th International SHMII, a well-respected industry conference which attracts some of the best minds in structural health monitoring, innovative software and new technologies. We welcome the opportunity to share and discuss our expertise with existing and new clients, peers and industry experts.

Intertek’s instrumentation team is part of the company’s Production and Integrity Assurance business, which has a global network of offices and laboratories and supplies corrosion management and monitoring, materials consultancy and testing, production chemistry and microbiology services to oil and gas, structural engineering and renewables organisations on a worldwide scale.

More information is available from: http://www.intertek.com

Hardide Aerospace Coatings makes senior business development appointment

Hardide Aerospace Coatings, provider of advanced surface coating technology, has appointed Stewart Gibson as Business Development Manager to drive forward the company’s global sales activity in the civil and military aerospace sectors.

Stewart has more than 30 years of experience within the advanced surface coatings industry and has in-depth knowledge of the aerospace sector and extensive commercial and technical expertise.

He joins from Castolin Eutectic, part of Messer Group, where he was Global Coatings Manager with responsibilities that included customer and product diversification. Prior to that, Stewart held senior operational and sales positions in Bodycote Surface Technology, Renold Power Transmission, Vickers Engineering, Praxair and Hawker Siddeley Group.

Philip Kirkham, CEO of Hardide plc, said:

Stewart brings a weighty combination of high technology surface coatings and aerospace sector experience together with excellent global industry contacts. We welcome him as a strong addition to our business development team as we drive our growth and expansion in the aerospace sector.

Hardide Coatings is currently in the final stages of a coating qualification programme with Airbus and is in a development programme with Agusta Westland. It is working towards global aerospace Nadcap accreditation and expects to apply for final certification under this scheme before the end of 2015.

In January 2015, the company announced an investment of up to $7m in a new North American coating facility in Martinsville, Virginia. The site was chosen because it is part of an Enterprise Zone which is already home to 230 aerospace companies, as well the Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing and two Rolls-Royce facilities.

The range of Hardide coatings are highly abrasion-, erosion-, corrosion- and chemical-resistant, while also being tough, ductile and impact-resistant. Applied by chemical vapour deposition, the process can coat both external and internal surfaces as well as complex geometries. The coatings are proven to offer dramatic improvements in component life, delivering cost savings through reduced downtime and increased operational efficiency.

The Hardide-A variant of the coating has been developed specifically to meet the needs of the aerospace industry and as a direct replacement for hard chrome plating (HCP), which faces restrictions imposed by EU REACH and US OSHA regulations. Hardide-A meets the new EU and US environmental standards and provides comparable or better wear, corrosion, hardness, surface finish and substrate bonding properties to HCP.

More information is available from: http://www.hardide.com

Surface Technology Coventry invests in facility and partnering customers

Several key investments are underway at the Surface Technology plant on Deedmore Road, Coventry, as the facility gears up to meet an influx of high-volume work for black passivation and stainless steel zinc nickel finishing.

By investing £60k into the latest coating technology, the Surface Technology site in Coventry is further enforcing its reputation as a zinc nickel specialist as well as showcasing its capability into new markets. In addition, the company has implemented its first fixed-weekend working shift across the group to meet the increased capacity, as well as demonstrating its professional approach to creating safer working conditions with the Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Specification (OHSAS) 18001 accreditation.

The new black passivation tank was introduced in response to a significant increase in demand for black coatings. Through a fully automated process, Surface Technology will see its black capacity increase to in excess of 5,000 parts per hour. As well as supporting its current core industry sectors of automotive and construction, the new work will see the site diversify into mining, agriculture and military. The provision of this new service will allow Surface Technology to offer a viable alternative to the highly competitive black paint market (Figure 1).

Figure 1 - Intertek has undertaken structural health monitoring on several iconic public transport systems across Europe

Rob Hurrell, Operations Director at the Deedmore Road facility, said:

The paint industry has grown significantly in recent years, largely due to its highly aesthetical black finish. A property that has been missing in electroplating since the introduction of trivalent passivate systems. Our investment into the latest black technology allows us to now viably compete for this product, providing both our superior ductile, sacrificial coating and the necessary aesthetics required on visual product.

Similarly, investment has gone into adding a new nickel strike facility to the plant for high-volume work on hydraulic adapters where the plating is required for corrosion resistance on stainless steel.

Furthermore, the Deedmore Road facility is currently in the final stages of achieving the OHSAS 18001 certificate for the Health and Safety management systems. The OHSAS 18001 standard is an internationally approved method used to assess and audit occupational health and safety management systems, and was awarded following an assessment by the government-backed accreditation service, National Quality Assurance.

Rob Hurrell concluded:

It’s great to see these developments unfold at the site. We are a service provider, adding value to our customers products. We increase that value by forming partnerships where we can work together to innovate both the final product and the process for mutual success. Our continued investment signifies our continued commitment to evolve with our customer base, overcoming unique challenges and ensuring we remain the go-to specialist in our field.

More information is available from: http://www.surfacetechnology.co.uk

AkzoNobel supplies protective coatings for major North Sea wind farm

One of the largest clean energy projects in Europe is benefiting from coatings technology supplied by AkzoNobel. The company’s products are helping to protect the Gode Wind offshore wind farm near the German North Sea coast.

AkzoNobel is supplying products from its International® protective coatings range for the wind turbine foundation transition pieces being made in Denmark by Bladt Industries, and for the monopiles being fabricated in Germany by EEW. Developed by Dong Energy, the wind farm will generate enough electricity to supply 600,000 German households:

The relationship between AkzoNobel and Bladt was key in helping us to secure the project, said Clare McDermott, Business Development Manager — Wind Energy at AkzoNobel’s Protective Coatings business. We have worked together on a number of recent North Sea projects, including Borkum Riffgrund in Germany and Westermost Rough in the UK.

This latest deal underlines AkzoNobel’s position as the leading provider of protective coatings for the offshore wind power industry. More than 55 per cent of global offshore wind capacity uses AkzoNobel coatings, including projects in China and Japan. The company’s coatings are protecting more than 1,000 offshore wind turbine foundations, including those of the London Array, the world’s largest offshore wind project.

Commenting on the announcement, Mauricio Bannwart, Managing Director of AkzoNobel’s Protective Coatings business, said:

We are extremely pleased to have been selected for this key energy project. The deal reflects our strength in developing strong relationships with wind farm owners and fabricators, as well as the proven performance of our products in protecting wind farms in the harsh offshore environment.

The first foundations for the Gode Wind development were recently installed, with the project due to be completed in 2016.

More information is available from: http://www.akzonobel.com

Industrial Nanotech, Inc. Announces launch of Heat Shield™ EPX4 thermal insulation and chemical resistant coating

Industrial Nanotech, Inc., a leader in nanotechnology-based energy-saving solutions, announced the official launch of its second-generation Heat Shield™ EPX4 2-part water-based epoxy thermal insulation and corrosion- and chemical-resistant coating. This product is an improved version of their earlier EPX4 coating, and includes several enhancements, including improved thermal insulation, better temperature reduction per coat, extended pot life, longer shelf life, white base color that can be tinted, improved flexibility, all non-hazardous formulation and lower cost per square foot/square meter. The coating is used on pipe, tanks and other equipment for insulation/energy savings and asset protection.

Our EPX4 product has been one of our biggest sellers in the industrial sector since it was first brought out several years ago, stated Francesca Crolley, V.P. Business Development for Industrial Nanotech, Inc. The product is extensively used in multiple industries, and in the textile industry in particular, for energy savings, reduction of carbon emissions, durability in extreme environments, and its splash resistance to chemicals. We’ve taken a great product and made it even better to meet the multiple needs that manufacturers in industries around the world have requested. This new product has phenomenal thermal performance, the pot life has also been extended from 2 hours to approximately 24 hours, and a big benefit is that now both the Part A and Part B ship as non-hazardous goods, which is much less expensive for our customers. Additionally, the product is more flexible and has the ability to be tinted to a desired color. We’re pleased with the response so far from industry and look forward to adding more products to our enhanced Heat Shield™ line.

A video showing the company’s CEO/CTO, Stuart Burchill, demonstrating the EPX4 product with a blowtorch and the palm of his hand can be found on YouTube at: http://youtu.be/5owh0Vih5Vk.

EPX4 has been used in multiple industrial insulation applications globally, with companies reporting energy savings on average of 10-25 per cent, while also protecting equipment from corrosion and chemical exposure damage.

More information is available from: http://www.epx4.com