Metal Parts News

The U.S. Navy has long valued the potential of additive manufacturing (AM) and 3D Printing.AM refers to the depositing of material layer by layer to create an object. For the Navy, it’s not practical to carry every replacement part for every system on a ship, and it can be difficult to forecast if or when parts will fail. AM provides a flexible source of supply in being able to make parts instead of ordering them and waiting for them to arrive, especially for warships at the far end of the supply chain.

Wilhelmsen has launched an early adopter program for 3D printed marine spare parts. A strategic move by the six early adopters, Carnival Maritime, Thome Ship Management, OSM Maritime Group, Berge Bulk, Executive Ship Management and Wilhelmsen Ship Management have all signed up with Wilhelmsen’s Marine Products division to begin utilizing on-demand additive manufacturing.Wilhelmsen, in cooperation with Ivaldi Group, will provide spare parts on demand to the selected six customers’ vessels around the globe.

A U.S. shipbuilder’s piloting of new technologies is redefining the future of the naval engineering and shipbuilding industries.Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Newport News Shipbuilding division, in collaboration with the U.S. Navy, has led the adoption of additive manufacturing of metal components for nuclear-powered warships as part of HII’s digital transformation.This technological development will result in the first certified 3-D-printed metal part—a prototype piping assembly—being installed on the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) early next year.

PPG has introduced PSX 800 and PSX 805 coatings for steel and metal surfaces, two next-generation products formulated with greater flexibility and hiding performance than competing polysiloxane coatings. According to PPG, the two new products feature improved flexibility, which enables them to withstand the cracking under stress commonly associated with difficult steel, tank exterior and building exterior applications. PSX 805 coating adds a durable satin-sheen finish that masks imperfections on metal surfaces.

Was the closing of the Houston Ship Channel for over three days in March 2015 due to the use of Ultra Low Sulphur Fuel Oil (ULSFO)? After reviewing the testimony, and evidentiary material presented by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) regarding the 2015 Conti Peridot’s collision with the Carla Maersk, it is the authors' opinion the report fails to address significant contributing factors. The NTSB has overlooked a serious threat to vessel operations throughout the world.

For ship and vessel owners that struggle with corrosion caused by water, humidity, condensation, salt air and environmental contaminants, Force5 Marine works as corrosion inhibiter, lubricant and cleaner to protect engines and critical equipment and keep it in good working order. The harsh marine environment costs an estimated $50-80 billion in corrosion related damage worldwide, and can lead to the failure of critical equipment including engines, fittings, valves, switches, lighting, and electrical gear if not properly maintained.

Synthetic lubricant manufacturer Royal Purple has launched its all-new BioMax line of Environmentally Acceptable Lubricants (EAL). Royal Purple said its BioMax Environmentally Acceptable Lubricants meet all environmental standards mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and are Vessel General Permit (VGP) compliant for use in oil-to-sea interfaces in vessels measuring 79 feet or greater in length. All BioMax lubricants are formulated with Royal Purple’s base oils and proprietary advanced additive technology, Synerlec.

When welding tubes and pipes such as stainless, duplex, chrome etc., it is important to purge the internal bore with an inert gas to prevent oxidization, discoloration and to ensure a good internal weld profile. Huntingdon Fusion Techniques (HFT) announced it has introduced PurgElite, a range of tube and pipe purging systems to achieve a clean, oxide free, zero color weld. These systems are manufactured to suit pipe diameters from 25-600 mm and are made of low outgassing rate materials, which gives them the ability to produce high quality welds in tubing and piping.

Pilot project pioneering laser repair works for the metal parts of ships and vessels has been launched in Russia's Primorsky Territory, reports Sputnik. The technology of laser reordering of metallic parts in Russia's Primorye Territory was developed by the Far Eastern branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) jointly with the Far Eastern Federal University and the Vladivostok-based ship-repairing center Dalzavod. Robot complexes will be equipped with high-power lasers which will allow overlaying repair coats of different metals on faulty parts automatically, fully restoring the operational integrity of separate units, the RAS Far Eastern branch said. "With the use of lasers, coats of various metals will be put on broken parts to fully restore them.

A huge building containing equipment for dealing with the whole cycle of radioactive waste management is taking shape on the coast of the Barents Sea. Roofing and façade are finished now, and remaining inner engineering systems are being installed, reports the 'Barents Observer'. The complex in the Saida Bay will deal with all kinds of radioactive scrap from the huge reactor compartments of decommissioned nuclear submarines to contaminated metal parts from both the navy and Russia’s fleet of nuclear powered icebreakers.

TDI announced the introduction of a new, inertia-engaged turbine air starter designed to improve the reliability of mid size engines (up to 4,882 CID/80 Liters) on marine vessels, mine haul trucks and critical applications like emergency generator sets and fire pumps. The signature characteristic of the vaneless, TurboTwin T50-I is the 100% starting performance it delivers because of the inertia engagement. “With inertia-engaged air starters there is never an abutment causing an abandoned start attempt, meaning the design of the air starter assures pinion engagement every time. This translates to 100% starting reliability,” states Dave Rawlins, TDI Senior Product Manager. “We have tens of thousands of inertia-engaged starters in the field.

Having been manufacturing Tube and Pipe Weld Purging Systems since 1975 Huntingdon Fusion Techniques (HFT) said it has evolved the science of Weld Purging to new levels. Along with other recently announced scientific developments in its Weld Purge Monitor series, the Company has now reached the Fifth version of its Tube and Pipe Weld Purge System designs by launching the new PurgElite range of Tube and Pipe Weld Purging systems for diameters from 1” to 24” diameter inclusive.

In any given lubricant (such as engine oil, transmission fluid or gear oil), there are three main factors that influence the “useful life” of the lubricant:  Viscosity Stability, Oxidation, and Contamination. While it is important to understand how these factors affect oil life, it is equally important to realize that none of these factors can be measured or monitored except through a thorough and ongoing oil analysis program. Viscosity - First, let’s examine the oil property known as “Viscosity.”  Viscosity is defined as resistance of an oil to flow at a given temperature.

Kano Laboratories has recently launched Kroil penetrating oil, developed to solve the aggravation of frozen metal parts. According to the company, Kroil creeps into millionth inch spaces, dissolves rust and lubricates to loosen frozen metal parts. Its molecular structure facilitates penetration while maintaining a structure that breaks bonds due to either corrosion or compression. Kroil is now available in 8 sizes, including a new 16.5oz. economical industrial size.

Eco-Corr Film® is a biobased and biodegradable film utilizing Cortec's patented VpCI® technology. It is the first 100% biodegradable VCI film in the world, designed to provide tensile strength, tear resistance, and elongation. It is certified under DIN CERTCO DIN EN 13432 (Europe) and Biodegradable Products Institute ASTM D6400 (USA), as well as heat and water stable. Eco-Corr Film® is designed to provide contact, barrier, and Vapor phase Corrosion Inhibitor (VpCI®) protection for up to two years.

There's hardly a marine application — onboard or ashore — where seawater pumps are not considered critical to a vessel's operation or purpose. The ability to pump seawater aboard most vessels represents only a part of their liquid pumping requirements; in many cases other liquids such as caustics, corrosives, and alkalis need to be transferred, either from ship to shore or vice versa. For these kinds of harsh applications many shipboard pumps are constructed of metals designed to withstand the continuous flow of severely corrosive liquids. Typically, these metals include Monel and K-Monel, titanium, nickel bronze, alloy 20 steel, and 316 stainless steel.