Quintus Technologies said its toolbox eliminates the need to remove oxidized surfaces after HIP
April 19, 2023
VÄSTERÅS, Sweden and Columbus, Ohio—A new toolbox developed by Quintus Technologies reportedly makes it possible to achieve unoxidized component surfaces after Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP), eliminating the need for difficult, costly, or hazardous pre- and post-processing.
The Quintus Purus toolbox consists of best practice in HIP operation, new HIP equipment hardware and software capabilities, and bespoke oxygen getter cassettes. Most of these issues can be avoided or substantially reduced by using the toolbox, which is said to enable design advantages and substantially reduce the cost and environmental impact of manufacturing components.
According to Quintus, its development of the toolbox answers a call from producers of advanced components like medical implants, turbine blades, and rocket engine nozzles
“Oxidized component surfaces, and especially alpha cased titanium components—a brittle oxygen-enriched surface layer formed on titanium alloys during high temperature processes—are prone to crack initiation and, therefore, detrimental to component strength and reliability in operation,” said Quintus Technologies Director of Marketing and Sales Peter Henning, in a release from Quintus. “The oxygen, causing the oxidation during the process, originates from various sources, all of which must be controlled to ensure component performance. The oxidation issue is today (when at all possible) mitigated either by manually wrapping of all individual components in metal foil before the process, or by removing all oxidized surfaces using machining or etching with chemicals after the process.”
The issues around oxidized intricate surface structures and locations, which are difficult to inspect, are getting increased attention as additive manufacturing (AM) continues to expand the possibilities to design and build increasingly complex, functional structures. Examples of complex structure include trabecular structures designed for bone ingress of cementless medical implants, and the narrow media channels used for cooling and fuel transport in high-temperature jet engines and space propulsion, Quintus said in the release.
The concept behind Purus was developed, tested, and tuned over several years in Quintus Application Centers in Västerås, Sweden, and Columbus, Ohio. It was then verified in beta testing by select partners requesting the functionality to support their business opportunities.
“Purus makes it possible to produce ‘ready-for-use’ complex surfaces directly from the HIP process without having to manually wrap each component in metal foil, nor remove oxidized surfaces by machining or chemical etching after the process,” said Quintus Technologies CEO and President Jan Söderström, in the release. “This reduces energy consumption, cost of manufacturing, and the need for hazardous chemicals. This innovation is yet another example of how we collaborate with our customers to create mutual and environmentally sustainable business opportunities.”
The company said that because the beta tests have shown that exceptional results can be achieved, it is making the Quintus Purus toolbox available as a retrofit to existing Compact HIP systems or as a feature to a new system.
Purus customers can opt to participate in Quintus® Care, a rigorous partnership program designed to reduce operational risks and provide trouble-free equipment operation. It also includes technical and application support and spare parts management, the company said.
“Having a Quintus Care contract allows for close collaboration on how Purus is used, optimized, and improved during the product lifecycle,” said Henning.
Quintus Technologies designs, manufactures, installs, and supports high pressure systems in three principal areas: densification of advanced materials; sheet metal forming; and high pressure processing for food and beverage innovation, safety, and shelf life. The company said it has delivered more than 1,900 systems to customers within industries such as energy, medical implants, aerospace, automotive, and food processing.
Subscribe Now
Design-2-Part Magazine
Get the manufacturing industry news and features you need for free in a format you like.
