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The Challenges of Berg Metaal
Below is an overview of projects we have already completed for various customers.
Wear on pump housing components
Another unusual case for Berg Metaal. A customer contacted us because they were experiencing extreme wear. The pump housing components shown in these photographs were completely worn out after an average of just six weeks. Our investigation showed that the components were made of cemented carbide, while the damage indicated that wear alone could not be the only cause. Further discussions with the customer revealed that ferric chloride was being added to the process. We therefore applied an HVOF coating with a very high PREN value, selected for its resistance to ferric chloride. We expect this to keep the pump components in operation for at least two to three years.
Wear bushing repair
Just before the weekend, Berg Metaal received a call from a customer who had discovered during a machine overhaul that all 18 wear bushings were worn. Repairing these parts and making them wear-resistant is routine work for Berg Metaal. The main challenge was the extremely short turnaround. The customer needed all parts back by 7:00 on Monday morning so the machine could be reassembled. For this project, an opening had been made in the side of the factory to move the component outside. Several cranes were already scheduled for refitting, so a delivery delay was not an option. Our team worked throughout the weekend to complete the project on time.
Fusing a shaft sleeve
At Berg Metaal, we also master the spray-and-fuse process. After spraying, the component is heated to more than 1,000 °C. This treatment creates a coating without porosity. The coating is also metallurgically bonded to the base material, making it suitable for impact or shock loading. The material we selected gave our customer a longer component life combined with improved corrosion protection.
Augers with an extremely wear-resistant coating
Waste processing cannot be allowed to stop. For our customer, we coated several augers with an extremely wear-resistant coating, dramatically extending their service life. On the tip, we applied a tungsten-carbide-based coating with a high HRC rating. On the flight, we applied a nickel-based coating with a hardness of 60 HRC. We then heated the product to 1,100 °C to fuse the material, producing a metallurgical bond with the base material. Downtime is not an option for our customers. For most orders, we aim to have your workpiece ready within five working days. Need it sooner? We will work with you to make it happen.
Bearing shells - coefficient of friction
Sometimes rapid delivery is critical for our customer. These bearing shells would otherwise have had a one-year lead time. That was too long and would have prevented the customer from assembling their machines on schedule. Berg Metaal's custom solution provided the answer. We proposed manufacturing lead-bronze bearing shells and applying a sprayed Babbitt coating. This coating has a low coefficient of friction, withstands high pressures and offers excellent wear resistance. The advantage of spraying over casting is that the spray temperature remains below 120 °C. This prevents thermal stresses in the material and avoids deformation.
Worn bearing seats on electric motors
We frequently encounter worn bearing seats on electric motors. Thermal spraying also offers a sound technical solution in this situation. First, we machine the seat undersize. We then build it up with a 13% chromium-steel coating. Finally, we machine it back to the manufacturer's original tolerances. Motors of any size can be given an effective second life in this way, with a short lead time.
Gears
One of our customers manufactures gears and components. Something went wrong while the bearing seat was being machined: the grinding wheel cut into the workpiece. We restored the seat with an arc-wire-sprayed coating. This allowed the component to be used after all - a cost-effective and sustainable solution.
Worn labyrinth seal
A customer specialising in turbine overhauls faced a major problem due to a worn labyrinth seal. The component was the casing of a gas turbine for a power station in Indonesia. Berg Metaal identified a suitable solution and applied an abradable coating designed to wear in. This sacrificial coating allows the customer to maintain minimum clearance between the seal and the casing, thereby optimising turbine efficiency.
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