Aerodag Ceramishield - and spatter doesn't matter

Henkel offer its innovative ceramic protective coating Aerodag® Ceramishield™ (formerly known as Pulve BN D 60A) to welding engineers for MIG/MAG welding, laser and plasma cutting and spot-welding. First experiences with the innovative product show that by using Aerodag® Ceramishield™ productivity can be increased by up to ten percent. At the same time running costs for consumables can be lowered by up to 70 percent and cleaning of the equipment can be reduced significantly. With this innovative product range Henkel is enhancing its portfolio of surface treatment and coating solutions for the industry.

Welding without downtimes
Aerodag® Ceramishield™ can be used in all MIG/MAG welding processes. Without the need for reapplication welding equipment is protected against metal spatter for the extraordinary duration of up to eight hours. The ceramic silicone-free spray coating dries within seconds and builds up a protective shield preventing the adhesion of welding spatter to contact tips or shrouds thereby granting continuous uninterrupted welding. Thanks to Aerodag® Ceramishield™ there's no need to interrupt the welding process for cleaning - a decided productivity advantage as downtimes will now be a thing of the past.

Refer to the pictures on the right: Aerodag® Ceramishield™ builds up a protective shield preventing the adhesion of welding spatter tocontact tips or shrouds thereby granting continuous uninterrupted welding (top). In manual MIG/MAG welding the application of Aerodag® Ceramishield™ ensures physical and thermal protection thus increasing service life of welding equipment by four to five times (below).

Aerodag® Ceramishield™ ensures physical and thermal protection thus increasing service life of welding equipment by four to five times. Over the year this means significant savings while at the same time quality is increased: As the shroud remains free of spatter the gas flow is not interrupted which will result in a perfect welding seam each day and every time.

Reliable protection without impairment
When spot-welding a single coat of Aerodag® CERAMISHIELD™ protects jigs, fixtures and fittings against adhering spatter. So surface cleaning using expensive chemicals is no longer necessary. At the end of the shift spatter can be swept up with a soft brush. Also power cables, sensors, metal components and the jaws of spot welding systems can be coated with Aerodag® Ceramishield™. Once the ceramic protective coating is applied they are protected for up to one week.

As laser and plasma cutting nozzles are particularly sensitive to spatter a thin film of Aerodag® CERAMISHIELD™ offers reliable protection without impairing machine operation. The result: an extended service life of shrouds and a more reliable, continuous production with a higher productivity and revenue thanks to less downtime for cleaning.

Long term spatter protection - tests
Test performed by TWI and the company's technical welding engineers have showed that spatter build up in the torch was substantially reduced.
Providing long-term spatter protection for welding equipment has always been a challenge for the welding industry. The typical 'anti-spatter' products on the market provide short-term protection and spatter is r moved either manually or, for robotics, by a cleaning (or reaming) station. Working with Acheson, which was taken over by Henkel in 2008, and their technical welding engineers, TWI (The Welding Institute) has produced some interesting result when performing tests with the Aerodag® Ceramishield™ (previously named Pulve BN D 60A), a ceramic protective dry film coating.

Ceramishield™ has been specifically designed to protect welding consumables, equipment and fixtures and fittings from spatter problems over long periods of time. The product is supplied in aerosol form and is simple to apply.

TWI has carried out robotic welding trials to establish the coating life when applied to torch components and fixtures. Using a mild steel wire with a dip transfer condition and a high 80% duty cycle, the tests showed that spatter build up in the torch was substantially reduced, whereas the uncoated nozzle showed significant spatter buildup. The figure shows a comparison after 75 minutes of welding. After more than four hours of welding, the coating continued to repel spatter without re-application. Any spatter remaining in the nozzle coated with Ceramishield™ could be easily removed and the coating was found to be substantially intact. The coated nozzle lasted more than twice as long as an u coated nozzle before weld quality was adversely affected by spatter build-up. These tests demonstrated that the routine use of a reaming station to clean the torch, would not be necessary, providing benefits in higher cycle times and costs savings on torch consumables.

Refer to pictures left: After 75 minutes of welding, tests showed that spatter build up in the torch was substantially reduced (top), whereas the uncoated nozzle showed significant spatter build-up (below).

The trials also showed the benefits of protecting jigs and fixtures with Ceramishield™. Spatter did not adhere to a coated fixture and after two days welding, the remaining spatter could be swept away with a light brush. This should eradicate problems of spatter interfering with part location in jigs and minimise the labour-intensive procedures of removing the spatter at the end of a shift.

As well as torch components, jigs and fixtures, Ceramishield™ can also be used to protect cables, sensors and the jaws in spot-welding. It is claimed that one coating application could last for up to a week. The results of these tests show that Ceramishield™ is an excellent protective coating solution against spatter problems and the consequent loss of productivity faced in the welding industry.

Henkel in profile
Henkel has been committed to making people's lives easier, better and more beautiful for more than 130 years. A Fortune Global 500 and Germany's most admired company according to a recent Fortune survey, Henkel offers strong brands and technologies in three areas of competence: Home Care, Personal Care and Adhesive Technologies. Each day, more than 52,000 employees in 125 countries are dedicated to fulfilling Henkel's claim "A Brand like a Friend." In fiscal 2008, Henkel generated sales of 14,131 million euros and adjusted operating profit of 1,460 million euros.

For further information contact, Peter Kreft, Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, Tel: +49 211 797 -  1458, Fax: +49  211 797 - 11458

1^st MTA Attracts Alpha Magnetic Workholding

1st Machine Tool Accessories (1^st MTA) has added the high-quality Alpha workholding solutions range of magnetic milling chucks and material handling devices to its growing range of workholding and machining equipment.

Ruggedly-constructed for consistent accuracy and extended working life, Alpha Bi-Polar (ABP) Milling Magnets are a highly versatile method of delivering secure clamping, reduced vibrations and extended tool life to heavy machining applications. They are available in four lengths from 500-2000mm long, with standard height and width dimensions of 144 and 200mm respectively, to provide efficient clamping of an extremely diverse range of workpieces. Individual pole extenders can be used to raise parts from the magnetic chuck surface for through-hole work, whilst self shimming pole extenders are available for holding parts with features such as stepped diameters.

ABP's use of permanent electro technology means that the system does not require a continuous electricity supply to maintain its strong magnetic field. In addition, Alpha controllers are equipped with circuit breakers and, if required, can be linked directly to the machine tool's PLC.

Using a similar permanent electro-magnetic system to the ABP range, 1^st MTA's Alpha Mill Round (AMR) Milling Magnets are claimed to be the most versatile machining magnet currently available.

The Alpha Mill system ensures that the workpiece is uniformly supported over a larger area, minimising vibration and enabling the use of faster feed rates, without impairing tool life or machining quality. With each individual pole generating up to 1400 lbf of clamping force, AMR is ideal for machining processes such as milling, drilling and tapping. Furthermore, simple calculations allow users to verify the clamping safety factor for any given machining application.

Top: Alpha Bi-Polar (ABP) Milling Magnets and below   the Alpha A-Pod Magnetic Workholding system.

Allowing 5-face machining in a single setup, the system enables set up times to be reduced by up to 50% when compared to conventional fixturing. AMR's strong magnetic field also penetrates only 0.400 inches deep, eliminating the problem of unwanted magnetic chip adhesion by keeping the workpiece surface free from residual magnetism. Alpha Mill Round units are fully sealed against coolant ingress and are available in four-inch length and width increments.

At the heart of each Alpha Mill system is the Alpha Control, which employs micro-chip technology to deliver features including machine tool and safety interlocks, a CNC Interface and precise current sensing for assured clamping performance.

Complementing 1^st MTA's new range of magnetic chucks, the Alpha A-Pod Magnetic Workholding system is particularly suitable for frequently-changed machining set-ups, or where the use of dedicated fixturing is not practical.

Comprising a series of 3.66 in (93mm) diameter modular units, which can be easily mounted by a through-bolt into a 'T'-slot or sub plate, the system requires virtually no maintenance and offers an ideal replacement for systems such as hydraulic fixtures.

A-Pods share many of the attributes of Alpha's chuck systems, including permanent electro-magnetic technology and the generation of up to 1400 lbf of grip, to ensure high strength location of ferrous components for machining, grinding, polishing, measuring, welding and assembly operations.

Completing 1^st Machine Tool Accessories' new magnetics range is the Alpha Workholding Solutions Eagle Lifts. Featuring Alpha's permanent magnet technology, Eagle Lifts are available in five sizes, with flat-stock safe working load capacities ranging from 125-2200 kg. Each model incorporates deep 'V' grooves between its pole shoes, for the secure lifting of round stock.

Portable, compact and lightweight, Eagle Lift products are designed and tested to exceed the relevant ASME B30 guidelines. The range also incorporates Alpha's TEST TALON safety feature, which allows users to safety test load carrying capabilities for each application prior to use.

For further information, contact Catherine Kelly at 1^st MTA, e-mail: enquiries@1mta.com   Refer to page 41