Surface engineering at TWI

Erosion damage to gate valve face

Many engineering components are required to possess wear or corrosion resistant surface properties as well as tough, shock-resistant bulk properties. These conflicting requirements can be best met by using treatments that alter the surface properties from those of the core.

TWI has expertise in a wide range of the surfacing technologies that are employed to solve a variety of engineering problems. Furthermore, TWI is actively involved in research for a wide range of industry sectors including aerospace, automotive, biomedical, oil and gas, petrochemical and power generation.

TWI Thermal Spraying Services (pdf file 659kB)
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Surface engineering

'The design and modification of the surface and substrate of an engineering material together as a system, to give cost effective performance of which neither is capable alone'.

Surface engineering facilities at TWI

HVOF spraying of hydroxyapatite onto a hip implant

TWI has extensive surface engineering facilities ranging from advanced thermal spray and laser processes to fusion welding and chemical coating techniques.

Facilities include:

Thermal spraying - High velocity oxyfuel (HVOF), arc and flame processes
Cold spray
Arc weld surfacing - plasma transferred arc (PTA), submerged arc strip, manual metal arc (MMA), metal inert gas (MIG) and tungsten inert gas (TIG)
Electrospark deposition
Chemical processes - polymer films and sol-gel

Surface engineering expertise at TWI

Nickel alloy - alumina composite coating produced by resistance welding.

TWI's Surface Engineering Team offers technical support to industry, through a wide range of technologies, providing surface modifications and coatings from 1µm to 10mm thick. Project work and consultancy can be provided to a wide range of industry sectors including aerospace, automotive, biomedical, oil and gas, petrochemical and power generation.

Expertise includes:

Comparison of surfacing processes
Protective coatings for wear and corrosion resistance
Thermal barrier coatings and MCrAlY coatings
Repair and maintenance
Functional coatings for electronic and medical applications
Measurement of coating properties and performance
Non-destructive testing

TWI Yorkshire is playing a key role in establishing a surface engineering centre of excellence - the Surface Engineering Group (SEG). SEG is run by the National Metals Technology Centre (NAMTEC) and brings together the expertise of TWI, Corus, The University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University covering a wide spectrum of coating types and applications. For more information, visit the SEG website: http://www.seg.org.uk.